Former 8th overall pick stolen off waivers by Eastern Conference rival

On Thursday, Adam Boqvist was waived by the Florida Panthers after the talented defenseman had just arrived in the summer, with his time playing with the Stanley Cup Champions being very short lived.

In 18 games, the 24-year old tallied 2 goals and 6 points, but now he's on the move, as he has officially been picked up by an Eastern Conference rival according to top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman.

Despite just adding Tony DeAngelo as a free agent, it was the New York Islanders to swoop in and claim Boqvist, as he will likely play on the second pair in place of Scott Perunovich, with superstar blue liner Noah Dobson still week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Boqvist is no stranger to the Metropolitan Division, as he has spent plenty of time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, playing in 133 games with the team between 2019 and 2024, after starting his career with the Chicago Blackhawks.

In that time, his point production has steadily gone up each season, and while he didn't get playing time in Florida, it's safe to say that New York need help on the right side, and for the price, this is a fantastic addition for the team.

Ultimately, his spot in the team may become expendable when Dobson returns to the lineup, with Scott Mayfield carving out a role on the bottom pairing on the right side, but if he impresses enough, there's certainly going to be a spot in New York for him moving forward as he looks to establish himself as an NHL regular.