We need to talk about the idea of sending Zachary Bolduc to Laval

The Canadiens currently have 12 healthy forwards in the NHL. So we know which guys will play tonight's game, given that Martin St-Louis has no options.

But at some point, that's going to change.

The Canadiens have five forwards out injured at the moment: Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, Jake Evans, Josh Anderson, and Alex Newhook. The first three could be back soon, we don't know what's in store for Anderson… and Newhook should be back in March.

So, at some point, there will be congestion in town. Yes, other guys could get hurt, but you also have to consider the fact that guys(like Blake Coleman, for example) could also be acquired.

My point is this: at some point, we're going to have to consider the possibility of releasing guys who are currently in the lineup. It's an issue that has Montreal talking.

If we ever want to keep depth in town, Joe Veleno could skip his turn and act as 13th forward. But at some point, it's also going to take some guys going down to respect the 23-man limit and comply with the payroll.

Samuel Blais can currently avoid the waivers, but that won't be the case tonight, following his 10th game with the Canadiens since his recall. And anyway, he deserves to stay in the NHL, as the 12th or 13th forward.

Blais will become eligible for waivers tonight if he plays. He has one game left, not two.

– Jean-Francois C. (@JeanFrancoisCBA) January 10, 2026

If we forget the goaltending situation (inevitably, a Jakub would have to go down at some point), we notice that four young skaters can join the Rocket ranks without going through waivers.

The first two are Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. Not going to happen.

Owen Beck is undoubtedly the first forward to be traded to the Rocket when it's time to cut a player and send him to the AHL. No surprise there.

But the other is Zachary Bolduc.

I'm not saying that the Canadiens are days away from sending him down, of course. But we have to admit that if everyone comes back healthy and there are a number of heartbreaking decisions to consider, the one involving Bolduc will come back to the surface.

Bolduc can avoid waivers for another 12 games (if he doesn't miss a game, he'll become eligible for waivers after the February 2 game, just before the Olympic break)… and we didn't think we'd be talking about this at the start of the year.

However, the subject seems to be gaining ground.

Québécois isn't horrible, of course. However, his production is minimal, with only one point since the Habs hit the road before the holidays.

Aside from the potential congestion upstairs, I bring up the point (I'm not suggesting the idea per se: I'm throwing it up in the air) because dominating at a lower level never hurt a youngster. Especially a goal scorer…

We're talking about sending Jakub Dobes down even though he's been up there for more than a year. A youngster's progression is never really linear, you know.

If the Canadiens decided to keep Bolduc in the NHL, that would be fine.

But would it be the end of the world to see him on a stable line (which he doesn't have in Montreal this season) under Pascal Vincent and to see him score before coming back to the NHL?

Personally, I don't see it as a crime. And that's even if it's certainly not the preference of the main player, who must not want to go to Laval.

Kent Hughes often talks about the balance between the short and the long term. But giving confidence to the young scorer (who doesn't score much) could help in the long term, without destroying the Habs in the short term.

extension

I really believe that at some point, Bolduc will unblock like he did in St. Louis. But for the past few months, he's had to adapt to his new life as a Québécois playing for the Canadiens.

That's a lot of pressure. And we've seen with Samuel Montembeault that getting out of the pot for a few days can help your man.

Since the NHL is a results league, and one of the players having trouble getting his game in the game is a youngster who can go to Laval, the idea should at least be discussed.

Even if it's unlikely to happen.