Brendan Gallagher Case: Zachary Bolduc “had no room to maneuver”

The Canadiens just had a pretty awful weekend, thank you very much. Two losses in 24 hours, a defensive performance that leaves a lot to be desired, and a revolving door of forwards that's far from over.

Brendan Gallagher sat out Saturday's game, and Zachary Bolduc did the same on Sunday. Who will be next? We'll find out tomorrow if Kirby Dach is unable to play.

Meanwhile, journalist Arpon Basu of The Athletic shared his thoughts on Martin St-Louis's handling of the situation, as St-Louis had announced that Gallagher would return to the lineup on Sunday before Saturday's game.

The announcement made on Saturday, even before the game, that Brendan Gallagher would be in uniform on Sunday may have played on Zach Bolduc's mind… pic.twitter.com/bUS3oJtzGy
— Martin Lemay (@MartinLemay) March 16, 2026

He didn't like how the situation was handled, because he believes Zachary Bolduc felt he had no room to maneuver, and therefore didn't play well.

He added that Bolduc missed a game after the Olympic break.

I partly agree with Basu's comments. Yes, St. Louis tied his own hands by saying that Gally would rejoin the lineup the next day, but it's not true that Bolduc was the only candidate to sit out.

Josh Anderson and Kirby Dach, in particular, weren't performing exceptionally well either. It was up to Bolduc to force his coach's hand. If he had flown around the ice and scored a goal, he wouldn't have been benched.

Bolduc didn't play well, but he's a professional. Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj have been going through the same thing for several months.

At some point, the players on the third and fourth lines will have to step up their game to force St. Louis's hand.

In a nutshell
– A story to watch.

Jeff Marek: Re Jake DeBrusk/Canucks: It's a tough fit… it does look like a tough fit here; I don't think he would be a difficult one to move; that one looks like it's not headed to a place where we see Jake continuing to ply his trade in Vancouver – Sekeres & Price (3/13)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 17, 2026
– What a shot!

Clayton Keller from the goal line.
: @NHL pic.twitter.com/nd1eoF3QmJ
— BarDown (@BarDown) March 17, 2026
— What's happening in the arenas is terrible.

Will we need a police officer in every arena? https://t.co/4hrfX5cpGK
— La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) March 16, 2026