What to expect from Zachary Bolduc in his first season with the Canadiens

Zachary Bolduc is heading into his first season with the Montreal Canadiens after being traded from the St. Louis Blues for defenceman Logan Mailloux, and will be looking to make his mark in the bleu, blanc, et rouge sweater. The 2021 17th overall pick was a goal machine in his two seasons with the Quebec Remparts, recording 105 goals in 126 games. After briefly playing with the Blues in 2023-24, he became an NHL regular last season, where he recorded 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games. Now, with the franchise he grew up cheering for, Bolduc will be looking to improve upon his numbers from last season and establish himself as a potential top-six forward on the Canadiens roster.

Bolduc’s breakout with the Blues

After a highly successful final season with the Remparts, which saw them win the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as QMJHL playoffs champions and the Memorial Cup, he began the next season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. He played in 48 games with the Thunderbirds, recording 8 goals and 23 points, which earned him a call to the Blues roster. He remained with the Blues until the end of the regular season, but was sent back down to the Thunderbirds after St. Louis did not make the playoffs. He finished his first season with the Blues, registering five goals and nine points in 25 games.

In Bolduc’s official rookie season last year, he started slow but finished off the season strong. In his first 50 games last season, Bolduc had eight goals and 20 points. However, in his final 22 games of the season, he had 11 goals and 16 points as the Blues were fighting to secure a playoff spot. He did a lot of his damage on the power play, with seven of his 19 goals coming on the man advantage. His production dipped in the playoffs, recording a single assist in a hard-fought seven-game series with the Winnipeg Jets. Overall, it was a very positive rookie season for Bolduc, who finished eighth in voting for the Calder Trophy.

A new chapter in Montreal

Bolduc will likely start the season on the Canadiens' third line, similar to his role on the Blues last season. However, that all depends on how the combination of Ivan Demidov and Patrick Laine, who have the potential to be a dynamic offensive line, but might lack the defensive balance. Bolduc has a physical presence in his game, finishing with 108 hits last season compared to Laine’s 26, and the newly acquired winger is a more willing defender. With Bolduc’s power play production, he will definitely see time on the Canadiens' second unit, which should help a team that finished 21st in power play percentage last season.

Bolduc finished with 19 goals as a rookie and will be looking to improve on his numbers going into his first season with the Canadiens. The Canadiens are looking for more secondary scoring to take some of the pressure off the first line, and Bolduc can bring that, but he will have to be more consistent this season. Somewhere in the mid-20s in goals and 50-55 points would be a great step forward for Bolduc this season. He is entering just his second full season in the NHL, and while he does possess a great shot and has the potential to be a 30-goal-a-year player, it might be a lot to ask from a player going into a new system playing in a third-line role. However, if we do see Bolduc play with Demidov from the start of the season, 30 goals becomes a lot more realistic. Trading for Bolduc is a trade for the future, and if he can become more consistent this season, he will be someone we see on the Canadiens' top-six for a long time.