The Montreal Canadiens sure know how to pick ’em. Whether it’s Juraj Slafkovsky or Lane Hutson through the draft, or Patrik Laine and Noah Dobson via trade, the Canadiens have shown they know a thing or two about picking the right players for their system.
However, another trade that came out of nowhere during the offseason appears to be off to a fantastic start for the team. Adding Zack Bolduc in exchange for Logan Mailloux could be the best trade the franchise made this past summer.
Zack Bolduc is Making the Canadiens Look Like Geniuses
On July 1st, 2025, the Canadiens traded away defenseman Mailloux for young forward Bolduc. Most pundits focused on the blockbuster trade the team made during the offseason.
It appears more time should have been spent looking at this transaction.
In his first three games, Bolduc leads the Canadiens in goals (with three) and is second in points (with four). He has averaged 15:03 in ice time over his first few games with the team.
Bolduc is the first Canadiens player to score in his first three games with the team in over 20 years. According to NHL Public Relations, the last Canadiens’ player to do that was Yanic Perreault in 2001-02.
Bolduc was the 17th overall selection for the St. Louis Blues in the 2021 draft. The 6-foot, 187 lb forward played 72 games for the Blues last year. He scored 19 goals, recorded 36 points, and averaged 12:48 in ice time per game.
Bolduc Has Found His Role With Canadiens
GettyThe Canadiens have hit the jackpot with this offseason trade.
Part of what has made Bolduc so successful is his great fit with the team. He has spent 80 percent of his even-strength ice time on a line with Kirby Dach and Brendan Gallagher. Two of his four points have come at even-strength.
Not only has he been productive with his even-strength linemates, but he’s been dynamite on the powerplay. On Saturday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, the youngster recorded a powerplay goal and an assist.
Bolduc has been skating on the team’s top powerplay unit this year, taking over Laine’s position. In the first three games with the Canadiens, he has played 3:05, 2:57, and 10:22 (!!) on the powerplay.
Canadiens GM Kent Hughes saw the potential Bolduc possessed, which motivated the deal in the first place.
“First of all, it’s his potential, but it’s also his style of play,” Hughes said via NHL.com when the trade was made in July. “He’s a good skater, and we saw a big improvement in his physical side, how physical he became over the course of the season last year.”
Hughes believes there is more offense to be had with Bolduc.
“He was very good offensive player all through his amateur career,” Hughes continued. “He was a 17th pick overall, so that speaks to his offensive talent, and while averaging about 13 minutes a game, he nearly scored 20 goals this season.”
Logan Mailloux Will Need More Time
GettyLogan Mailloux as a member of the Montreal Canadiens
On the other side of the fence, things haven’t been as rosy with Mailloux.
The 22-year-old blueliner hasn’t been trusted with the same level of deployment that Bolduc has. Mailloux has skated 14:12 and 8:18 in his first two games with the team. He has not recorded a point with his new team.
The unfortunate reality for the Blues is that they are heavily reliant on their top-four defensemen. In their last game against the Calgary Flames, Mailloux and his partner, Tyler Tucker, played just over eight minutes.
It’s not sustainable for the Blues to continue playing four of their six regulars on the blueline 23-25 minutes a night. Either the Blues need to play their third pairing more, or they need to acquire another defender to play in that role.
Either way, the early returns on this deal heavily favor the Canadiens.
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