Here’s what I saw Monday night.
When the Blackhawks traded defenseman Henri Jokiharju to the Sabres in July, they indirectly declared Adam Boqvist their top defensive prospect. Throughout prospects camp and the Traverse City Tournament, he looked like a player on a different level than his competition. Now that he’s up against NHL talent, we’ll find out what the Blackhawks really have and how ready Boqvist is for the highest level of hockey.
On Monday, Boqvist's offensive talent was on display. He assisted on a goal -- a point shot rebound scored by Alex Nylander -- and scored a beauty of his own by corralling a bouncing puck behind the net, gliding out into the circle and sniping a roof shot. Boqvist's offensive game has never been in question. That aspect of his game is NHL ready ... which brings me to his defensive game.
There were several moments in the Blackhawks' zone in which Boqvist looked lost. I tweeted the term "passenger" to describe his defensive game, and I think that’s accurate. Maybe it’s a matter of him not wanting to make a mistake. Maybe he’s afraid of being too aggressive, but the opposite of that played out. Two of his turnovers ended up in the back of the net behind Blackhawks goalie Collin Delia. If Boqvist wants to force the Blackhawks to put him on the roster, he at least needs to be decent defensively. After one preseason game, he needs to take some steps to get to that point.
When Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman traded top defensive prospect Jokiharju for winger Alex Nylander straight up, even those who weren’t high on Jokiharju thought it wasn’t enough of a return. With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that Bowman is rooting for Nylander to prove him right. The returns were good for him Monday, as Nylander had a goal and an assist and was the best player on the ice for either team. He was dynamic and mature offensively and also more than responsible in his own end. He also stood out in the Blackhawks' training camp festival scrimmage.
The issue with Nylander to this point in his young career has been his consistency. There will be moments of brilliance and moment of invisibility. It’s likely that he will be in the lineup when the Hawks host the Red Wings on Wednesday. Can he follow up his first game with a repeat performance?
Boy, the Blackhawks love bringing back former players past their primes -- Patrick Sharp, Brian Campbell, Johnny Oduya, the list goes on and on.
The newest name of the list is ... wait for it ... Kris Versteeg.
Signed to a deal with AHL Rockford this summer, Versteeg was sporting the "A" on his sweater Monday. Maybe it’s Coach Quenneville PTSD, but I can’t shake the feeling that he’s going to take shifts -- and games -- away from younger players with higher ceilings. Hopefully, coach Jeremy Colliton plays the best players and doesn't opt for the comfortable veteran.
That said, if the Hawks run in to some injury problems, Versteeg adds some versatility and dependability in a pinch.