The Montreal Canadiens and Zachary Bolduc could be getting a bit antsy as training camp approaches with no signs of a contract extension. Both Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj are still holding out for a better deal, hoping it won't stretch into the start of camp. With time running out, Bolduc's camp just landed a solid comparable from their rival Boston Bruins and Fraser Minten.
Minten has one year remaining on his entry-level deal, but just signed a contract extension worth $7.2 million annually for seven years. The Bruins' young center isn't much different from Bolduc, with both being young and having high ceilings. In some ways, Bolduc is a bit more proven than Minten, which makes the contract a scary one for the Canadiens.
Minten has just one full season in the NHL, totaling 35 points in 82 games last season. The seven-year deal for the Bruins could have the potential to look really good or really bad by the end of this upcoming season, which makes it all the more risky. Bolduc, on the other hand, already has two seasons of at least 30 points and had a miniature breakout during the 2026 postseason.
The Bruins hope that Minten is a core piece of their future, but they have to be a bit concerned that he was largely invisible in their first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres. Bolduc fared much better in his second postseason, recording seven points in 19 games. Ironically, Bolduc had a similar one-point-in-seven-games stat line in his first playoffs with the St. Louis Blues in 2025, which makes the contract comparable even better.
Zach Bolduc's comparable is trouble for the Canadiens
The Canadiens have something good going with their contract structures, as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky all have annual values in the $7 million range. Ivan Demidov recently signed an extension kicking in next season with a $9.125 million annual value, which is par for the course with the rising salary cap.
Bolduc potentially wanting the Minten deal puts Kent Hughes in a difficult spot. From his time as an agent, he has to understand why Bolduc wouldn't want a penny less than Minten. However, it'd be hard to justify giving Bolduc a contract anywhere near the three forwards on his top line. Without knowing Bolduc's exact demands, the Minten deal could stretch these negotiations into training camp and potentially even longer.
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