Jesper Boqvist
Jesper Boqvist was a player that many Devils fans were close to giving up on. That seems way too early since the Swedish center is just 23 years old. The Devils hoped the former 2nd-round pick would be ready to be a regular in the lineup earlier than he was, but he’s proven to be a good piece on the third line. The Devils have really struggled to put together a true third line since trading away Travis Zajac. After moving Dawson Mercer to the first line, it really put a hole in the Devils lineup. Boqvist has done a good job filling it.
While Boqvist has earned his spot in the lineup, he’s still not scoring. He only had two points in all of March, and both were assists. He was scoring better in February when he had five points including two goals, but it’s still not good enough to prove his position in the lineup for next season.
Boqvist is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and it’s not a guarantee they are going to give him a qualifying offer. Listen, it’s more likely than not they will give him the QO, but we’ve been surprised before.
Boqvist needs to prove he is a regular NHL player. The Devils are going to get reinforcements next season, and we can’t see Tom Fitzgerald going into next season with roughly the same lineup next season. Those spots have to come from somewhere, and Boqvist’s spot is definitely in jeopardy.