After a long off-season with ongoing contract negotiations, former St. Louis Blues first-round pick Zachary Bolduc has signed a four-year, $4.2 million AAV contract with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Montreal Canadiens were fairly quiet this off-season, with their lone notable move being the contract extension of Ivan Demidov.
They signed several players to two-way contracts, but otherwise stayed quiet. That all changed over the weekend, as the Habs signed Chris Kreider to a one-year, $2.15 million contract, and then signed RFA and former St. Louis Blues 2021 first-round pick Zachary Bolduc to a four-year, $4.2 million AAV contract.
Bolduc appeared to be an important part of the Habs' core, but as the off-season progressed, trade rumors began to sprout, and uncertainty around his future with the organization grew. The public may have felt that way, but internally, the organization seemed to expect to complete a contract sooner or later.
Now, the Canadiens have signed their 23-year-old left-handed winger to the 2030 season, when he'll become a UFA at 27.
Bolduc has played two full seasons in the NHL, one with the Canadiens and one with the Blues, as well as a short 25-game stint with the Blues in 2023-24.
With the Blues, Bolduc scored 24 goals and 45 points in 97 games, finishing eighth in Calder Trophy voting during the 2024-25 season. After his impressive rookie season, he was dealt to Montreal in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux.
The trade filled needs for both teams, as the Habs needed middle-six depth and the Blues needed to add younger pieces to their defense core.
Bolduc has received a mid-term contract, just a bit longer than a standard bridge deal that would keep him an RFA, but shorter than a long-term deal. Mailloux, on the other hand, received a one-year contract, asking him to prove his late-year resurgence is sustainable.
As the years go by, it will be interesting to see how the deal shakes out.
For now, Bolduc will continue to be a physical middle-six winger with the potential to score 20 goals and be a depth producer on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations.
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