Former Blues First-Round Pick Remains Without An NHL Contract

Despite the Montreal Canadiens desperately in need of depth forwards and scoring, they have remained very patient in negotiations with former St. Louis Blues first-round pick Zachary Bolduc.

Bolduc was dealt to the Canadiens last off-season in a one-for-one deal that sent Logan Mailloux to the Blues.

Both 23-year-olds have had up-and-down seasons, but they occurred at different points. For Mailloux, the season started very poorly and resulted in a brief stint in the AHL. Upon returning, Mailloux was a different player and locked down a role on the top pairing alongside Philip Broberg. 

The goal for Mailloux is to start the season strong and prove that he is worthy of keeping his role on the top pairing.

For Bolduc, he started his Habs career with a bang, scoring in three consecutive games and finding time on the top line and top power play unit. That scorching start faded relatively quickly, resulting in a 12-goal, 30-point season in 78 games.

Both his goals and points were down from his previous season with the Blues, where he posted 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games. 

In the playoffs, Bolduc's ice time dipped further down to 11:23, compared to the 13:38 he averaged during the regular season. 

But despite his inconsistencies, Bolduc has the tools to be an effective middle-six winger, capable of bringing a physical edge and winning his minutes. With players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov leading the front lines, and soon-to-be-added Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky, the Habs need players like Bolduc who will bring depth scoring while understanding their role.

The expectation remains that Bolduc and the Canadiens come to an agreement before the season starts, but the clock is ticking.

"I'd love to play in Montreal for several seasons," said Bolduc to RDS. "But on the other hand, management has to make their own decisions too. Like I said, I'm not going to get ahead of myself on anything, but I trust my agent on that end and I'm confident that good things are coming."

The Canadiens have been almost scarily quiet this off-season. Could that mean a bigger move is on the horizon, and Bolduc could be going the other way? Time will tell, but what remains is that Bolduc will be a solid winger for any NHL club. 

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