Blue Jackets activate former first-round pick off IR

The Columbus Blue Jackets are set to welcome back defenseman Adam Boqvist as they’ve activated him off of injured reserve. 

The 23-year-old will rejoin the team on Saturday when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning and should line up on the top defensive pairing alongside Zach Werenski. He will also likely see time on the team’s second power play unit.

Boqvist suffered an upper-body injury on Jan. 25 in a game against the Calgary Flames. While the injury was classified as upper-body, Boqvist suffered a head or facial injury after taking a puck to the face while sitting on the bench. 

The timing of the injury meant that the former eighth-overall pick only missed three games due to the All-Star break. It was the second time Boqvist has been sidelined this season as he missed four weeks of play in December due to a shoulder injury.

A native of Falun, Sweden, Boqvist has provided some offense from the backend as he has seven assists in 20 games this season. While his offensive numbers throughout his career have been decent, he has never been able to remain in the lineup for an entire season due to a variety of reasons. Now in his fifth NHL season, Boqvist has yet to play more than 52 games in any one year.

Boqvist was one of the pieces acquired in the trade with the Chicago Blackhawks that sent Seth Jones to the Windy City and looked like he was turning the corner last season. 

But this season, injuries and healthy scratches have limited his playing time and he has had a hard time settling into a groove.