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Two Habs players are currently still without contracts: Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj. Both players are RFAs (restricted free agents) and are still eligible for a hostile offer.
I've wondered a few times over the summer: Is it a coincidence that the only two players still without contracts are two guys who are struggling to find their role in Martin St-Louis' lineup?
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Several people have told me repeatedly that a deal for Bolduc was imminent, that he was going to sign a contract any day now, that I was reading too much into things…
These people have simply taken Bolduc's official statements at face value; he's been saying since the start of the summer that everything is fine and that he'll be under contract soon.
Except that it's starting to take a while; training camp opens in less than a month for the Canadiens, and the season kicks off in about 40 days.
Can we really trust Bolduc's official statements?
On July 9, he told the Quebec City media that it was coming, that great things were on the horizon. Le Journal de Québec even reported on an imminent contract extension just a few minutes later.
On July 18, Bolduc himself told La Presse that things were moving forward and that a deal would be finalized soon.
On July 31, J-S Dea told the morning crew on BPM Sports that he'd heard it was on the way.
Then, last week, Bolduc said there were just a few minor details left to iron out before he could announce his signing.
But it's August 19, and Zachary Bolduc still doesn't have a contract. This isn't Poltergeist: just because you repeat something three times doesn't mean it's going to happen.
I know, negotiations often wrap up at one minute to midnight, but I hope Kent Hughes and the agents for Bolduc and Xhekaj aren't treating the start of the season as “midnight.” The guys' absence from the golf tournament opener would be a HUGE distraction.
A “strike” by the two players would only add to what has been a relatively disappointing summer for the Habs' GM.
The more time passes, the more theories are circulating that Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc are on the market. Can we just sign the guys and move on?
One thing's for sure: the three or four public appearances where Bolduc has been giving the same old spiel aren't going to reassure me. I'm always wary of official statements made in front of rolling cameras. The real stories are more often than not heard off the record.
