The Chicago Blackhawks have made a major roster move, announcing that 2018 first round draft pick Adam Boqvist has been recalled from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Boqvist, taken with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 draft, scored his first professional goal on Wednesday night for the IceHogs. He has spent the first six games of the season with the IceHogs after spending last season with the OHL’s London Knights.
The Blackhawks did not make a corresponding roster move, meaning that the team is currently carrying eight defensemen.
Just like with Kirby Dach, the Blackhawks will have to make a roster decision with Boqvist after nine games at the NHL level. If the team decides to keep him up for the remainder of the season, then he will officially trigger the first year of his three-year entry level contract with the team. If they decide to send him back to the minors, the clock on his contract will shift another year.
It was announced Wednesday that Dach will remain with the team beyond his nine-game tryout window.
The other big question with Boqvist is how he will slot into the team’s lineup, and who he will replace. The Blackhawks have made Brent Seabrook a healthy scratch in each of the team’s last two games, but another player would also have to sit out in order for Boqvist to make his NHL debut on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Blackhawks could potentially sit Dennis Gilbert and Slater Koekkoek if they want to get Boqvist into the mix and bring Seabrook back into the fold, or the Blackhawks could potentially make Erik Gustafsson a healthy scratch.
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The team will be back on the practice ice Friday as they prepare to continue their road trip against the Kings.
