Former Blue Jackets Defenseman Signs Overseas After 7 NHL Seasons

Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Adam Boqvist is heading overseas after spending over three months as an unrestricted free agent. 

Boqvist has signed a two-year contract with Geneve-Servette of Switzerland's National League, as announced by the club. 

Seeing Boqvist head overseas is not necessarily surprising. The former Blue Jackets defenseman did not land a contract with an NHL club during the off-season. Due to this, he will now be playing professionally in Switzerland, where he will be aiming to impress with Geneve-Servette. 

The Blue Jackets acquired Boqvist from the Chicago Blackhawks in July 2021 as part of the trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Windy City. The hope was that the 2018 eighth-overall pick would emerge as a key offensive defenseman for the Blue Jackets, but he never had that big breakout. 

In 133 games over three seasons with the Blue Jackets from 2021-22 to 2023-24, Boqvist posted 17 goals, 39 assists, 56 points, and a minus-31 rating. His time with the Blue Jackets ended when he was bought out by the Metropolitan Division club during the 2024 NHL off-season.