The Montreal Canadiens had an active offseason, but one move was named the best under-the-radar deal.
The Canadiens’ big offseason move was acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. Yet, NHL analyst Harman Dayal of The Athletic called Montreal’s trade for Zachary Boludc the top under-the-radar move of the NHL offseason.
“Noah Dobson’s arrival will draw most of the attention in Montreal. But Bolduc is another new, young piece who should be part of the Canadiens’ core for a long time,” Dayal wrote. “Bolduc, the No. 17 pick in 2021, is coming off an impressive rookie season where he scored 19 goals in 72 games despite averaging less than 13 minutes of ice time per game.
“The 22-year-old winger is a fast skater, a tenacious, heavy forechecker and has a dangerous shot that can beat goalies clean from mid-range distances. That quick, sneaky release, coupled with his soft hands in tight areas, led to approximately a third of his goals being scored from the bumper spot on the power play,” Dayal added.
Dayal expects Bolduc to play on the second line with Ivan Demidov, and he expects that line to have success for years to come.
The Canadiens, however, did have to part ways with Logan Mailloux, who’s a star young defenseman, but Dayal believes it was worth the price to acquire Bolduc.
“That’s a significant piece given how highly teams rate right-shot defensemen, but it was easy to justify the cost when you consider how deep Montreal’s blue line is with young talent,” Dayal added.
Bolduc recorded 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in 72 games last season.
Analyst Expects Bolduc to Play With Demidov
Bolduc could serve as a top-six forward for the Canadiens and add some more offense to the lineup.
“The 22-year-old winger is a fast skater, a tenacious, heavy forechecker and has a dangerous shot that can beat goalies clean from mid-range distances,” Dayal wrote. “That quick, sneaky release, coupled with his soft hands in tight areas, led to approximately a third of his goals being scored from the bumper spot on the power play.
“Bolduc didn’t get an extended opportunity to play with a high-end playmaker in St. Louis (Oskar Sundqvist was his most common five-on-five linemate), but in Montreal, he should have a golden opportunity to play full-time with Ivan Demidov on the second line,” Dayal added. “Demidov’s slippery, creative playmaking should mesh well with Bolduc’s ability to win pucks back on the forecheck and finish chances in the slot.”
Bolduc is projected to be the second-line left winger, along with Kirby Dach and Demdiov. If Bolduc fits in well, this could be Montreal’s second line for years to come and a key reason for its success.
Bolduc Eager to be Traded to Canadiens
Bolduc is from Quebec and grew up a Canadiens fan, so he was thrilled when he found out he got traded to Montreal.
“I’d say it was a mix of emotions. On one hand, for me, I’m leaving an organization where I made a lot of strong connections, where I met a lot of great people and made friends for life,” Bolduc said. “On the other hand, it’s exciting. I grew up watching the Montreal Canadiens. I’m very excited.”
Bolduc says he’s eager to play for Montreal and bring his physical, high-energy style to the team. He also wants to be a key part of a winning team, which is what he thinks he can do with the Canadiens.
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