Fabian Zetterlund, Jesper Boqvist, Alexander Holtz… Who’s The Odd Man Out?
The Case for Jesper Boqvist
Jesper Boqvist, the 24-year-old Swede, was the Devils’ second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Boqvist has not quite lived up to the expectations of a second-round selection in New Jersey.
152 games into his NHL career, Boqvist has 21 goals and 17 assists, totaling 38 points. Only four of those points have come this season in 33 games, a largely underwhelming total. Although Boqvist has not contributed much on the offensive end of the rink, he has played well in his own end and on the penalty kill, where he has logged some serious minutes.
Boqvist is a smooth skater and takes care of his end of the ice, making him a fine fourth-line center moving forward, but that may be his ceiling. Don’t expect much from the offensive side. The Devils already deploy a 4C-type player in Michael McLeod, so filling your team with players of this mold can become counter-productive.
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The Verdict
Jesper Boqvist is the odd man out here. He does not bring enough to the table, and his potential seems to max out in a fourth-line role. Zetterlund and Holtz are far too offensively gifted to be sitting, and this is their job to lose. Although these two guys may need a kick in the butt occasionally via healthy scratch, both players fit the long-term plans in New Jersey and should be treated as such.