Contract: An Intriguing Theory About Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Contract: An Intriguing Theory About Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj
Credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Right now, Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj are restricted free agents.

The Canadiens can't lose them without having the right to counter. But if the season started today, they wouldn't be able to play in any games.

Unless Kent Hughes has reached an agreement with his players, but it hasn't been announced yet? I don't believe that, but I'm raising the possibility anyway.

We can all agree that this situation isn't the end of the world. But still, one might wonder why these two Habs players (just like Sasha Pastujov and Maksymilian Szuber) haven't signed.

The most plausible theory is that they couldn't agree on the terms of a contract.

But there's another theory worth considering. What if Kent Hughes is waiting to sign them so he can trade them more effectively in a deal?

Stu Cowan (Sick Podcast) talked about this last night.

Note: He didn't report this by saying it was true or that it was a real possibility. He just mentioned it in a way that suggests we shouldn't rule out this theory.

He wasn't forced to say it, but it's still just a theory.

We know that players getting traded without a contract (when they're unrestricted free agents with compensation) ahead of the next season—it happens. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook were in that position, and it gives the new team a chance to lay the groundwork.

Will it take one of these guys (Bolduc and Xhekaj) to land a Kirill Marchenko from Columbus, for example? There's no way to know.


In a nutshell

– Ouch.

– The center fielder is 23 years old.

– Note this.

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