Zachary Bolduc’s Contract: He Continues to Send the Same Message

Michaël Petit
Zachary Bolduc’s Contract: He Continues to Send the Same Message
Credit: Capture d'écran | YouTube Sportsnet

Zachary Bolduc is one of two regular Habs players who are still restricted free agents. Arber Xhekaj is the other, now that Kirby Dach has signed a one-year contract.

The Habs have enough cap space for Bolduc and Xhekaj, but they want to ensure all parties are satisfied before retaining the services of these two players.

There are a few possibilities for Bolduc. First, there's the option of signing a long-term deal with the Habs. Otherwise, the Quebec native could very well opt for a bridge contract, allowing him to prove that he deserves a big contract down the line.

In my opinion, the second option makes the most sense, and Bolduc seems to favor this decision, having expressed doubts about his long-term future.

However, none of this is bothering him, as he's mentioned a few times recently.

The Quebec native isn't at all worried about his current situation, because he knows it will work out. He trusts his agents, as he mentioned to Guillaume Lefrançois in an interview with La Presse.

It's actually a good thing that his contract situation doesn't bother him all that much and that he's confident everything will work out. It shows he doesn't let this kind of situation unsettle him, and in a major market like Montreal, that's always a positive.

Bolduc sees what's happening across the NHL with these massive contracts. It can only be beneficial for him.

“I see contracts being signed everywhere, and the guys are landing good deals. That's good for us players.” – Zachary Bolduc

Signing a long-term deal wouldn't be the best move for Bolduc, who certainly still has a lot to prove.

He has what it takes to eventually become a top-6 caliber player, but he needs to prove that he belongs in the team's top-6. One of his main strengths is his lightning-fast shot:

He's also learned to use his size to deliver hits, which is certainly an asset he can continue to develop.

By giving himself two years, for example, to demonstrate what he can bring to the team, Bolduc could certainly earn a much higher salary after this bridge contract.

He could, however, shoot himself in the foot if he fails to make progress.

The good news in all this? He's only 23 and still has a few years to improve.

The Habs could certainly benefit from a better version of Bolduc as early as this season, playing on the second line with Demidov—and that could help solve part of the problem of finding the right support for Demidov.


In a nutshell

– Interesting.

– I'm really looking forward to seeing if Wright will be moving to a new team before the season starts.

– Stay tuned.

– Worth a read.

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