The Columbus Blue Jackets signed defenseman Adam Boqvist to a three-year contract extension on the eve of the 2022 NHL draft.
The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to shore up their blueline.
As their name continues to surface in a number of prominent rumors on the eve of the NHL draft, the Blue Jackets kicked off the festivities by retaining a player of their own on Wednesday night, coming to terms with defenseman Adam Boqvist on a three-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $2.6 million.
Boqvist, who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Seth Jones to Chicago last summer, is now tied to Columbus through at least the 2024-25 season, giving the young blueliner plenty of time to improve.
In 52 games last season, Boqvist racked up a respectable 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points, all while logging a little over 17 minutes per night in ice time. Clearly, there is room to grow for the 21-year-old, particularly after changing organizations so early in his career, and the $2.6 million cap hit he just agreed to gives him the runway to do so on an affordable deal for a team in need of cheap talent.
The ability is there for Boqvist. That's never been in doubt. As a sophomore on the Blackhawks in 2021, he scored at nearly a half-point-per-game pace while emerging as a power-play threat despite being weighed down by a paltry 5.2 percent shooting percentage.
But Boqvist will need to be better in 2022 and beyond. Luckily, the extension he just signed, and the role he will likely step into on the Blue Jackets' blueline, afford him the time and workload he needs to reach that next level.
With a number of key RFAs still left to sign, GM Jarmo Kekalainen can sleep easy knowing he at least has Boqvist locked up for the foreseeable future.
