Something doesn’t quite add up with Zachary Bolduc and the Montreal Canadiens.
Bolduc wants to remain in Montreal. The Canadiens still appear to value the 23-year-old winger. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels believes a contract should be completed before players report for physicals on September 16, even suggesting that a three-year agreement worth roughly $4 million annually would make sense.
Yet Bolduc remains unsigned.
That uncertainty has reopened one of the more intriguing Montreal Canadiens trade rumors of the summer: could general manager Kent Hughes eventually turn Bolduc into a sign-and-trade asset as part of a bigger move?
There is no reporting that Montreal is actively shopping Bolduc, and that distinction matters. In fact, recent information points toward the opposite. Anthony Martineau of le journal de montreal reported that Bolduc would ideally like a long-term future with the Canadiens and that his offensive role, not simply dollars has become an important part of the negotiations.
But until that contract is signed, the door to something unexpected remains open.
And with training camp approaching quickly, that door is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Why Zachary Bolduc’s Contract Talks Matter to the Montreal Canadiens
The biggest development isn’t necessarily that Bolduc remains unsigned. It’s why the negotiations may be taking time.
According to Martineau, Bolduc wants an opportunity to play more to his offensive strengths. He averaged only 13:38 of ice time per game during the regular season and spent most of the year lower in Montreal’s lineup despite briefly seeing first-line opportunities.
That matters when evaluating what Bolduc’s next contract should look like.
Montreal acquired him from the St. Louis Blues for Logan Mailloux in July 2025 after Bolduc produced 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games during his breakout season with St. Louis. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes specifically cited Bolduc’s offensive potential, skating and increasingly physical style when explaining the acquisition.
His first season in Montreal wasn’t as productive.
Bolduc recorded 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 78 games, before adding three goals and seven points during Montreal’s 19-game playoff run to the Eastern Conference Final.
That postseason performance may be more important than the raw numbers suggest.
NHLTradeRumor.com Zachary Bolduc Usage & Production Model
That final number catches my attention.
Bolduc’s playoff ice time dropped to roughly 11:23 per game, according to Sportsnet, yet our approximate all-situations points-per-60 calculation increased from about 1.69 during the regular season to 1.94 in the playoffs.
In other words, his raw playoff totals don’t tell the entire story.
He became more productive per minute when the games mattered most.
Zachary Bolduc Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 175 | 36 | 39 | 75 | 14 |
| Playoffs | 26 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -4 |
Could a Zachary Bolduc Sign-and-Trade Actually Make Sense?
This is where the situation gets interesting.
Montreal Gazette columnist Stu Cowan previously floated the possibility that Bolduc or fellow unsigned RFA Arber Xhekaj could eventually become part of a sign-and-trade scenario before camp. That was analysis and speculation, not a report that Kent Hughes was actively negotiating a Bolduc trade.
But the idea hasn’t completely disappeared.
Bolduc was ranked No. 9 on Bleacher Report’s September NHL Trade Targets Big Board, which specifically referenced the continued sign-and-trade speculation surrounding him.
My view is that Montreal shouldn’t trade Bolduc simply because his contract hasn’t been completed.
At 23, he’s exactly the type of controllable player a team trying to build a sustainable contender should usually keep.
However, there’s a difference between shopping Bolduc and being willing to include him in a package for a significant upgrade.
If Hughes can acquire a legitimate impact top-six forward who better fits Montreal’s long-term roster, Bolduc becomes the type of young NHL-ready asset another general manager could realistically ask for.
That’s the scenario worth watching.
NHLTradeRumor.com Zachary Bolduc Trade Value Index
Montreal Has Enough Salary-Cap Space to Sign Bolduc
One thing this probably isn’t about is Montreal being unable to afford him.
PuckPedia currently projects the Canadiens with approximately $9.78 million in salary-cap space under the NHL’s $104-million ceiling, with Bolduc still unsigned.
Engels believes something around three years and $4 million annually makes sense.
Here’s what that would mean for Montreal.
At a $4-million cap hit, Bolduc would consume only about 3.85% of the 2026-27 salary ceiling, leaving Montreal with approximately $5.78 million in projected space before resolving other roster business.
That tells me this negotiation is more likely about term, opportunity and future role than cap necessity.
A four-year contract is especially interesting because it could take Bolduc directly to unrestricted free agency, according to the Journal de Montréal. A shorter bridge-style contract would allow Montreal to retain more long-term control.
Has the Earlier Zachary Bolduc Sign-and-Trade Report Proven Accurate?
Not yet.
That’s an important update.
The original sign-and-trade discussion was a theory based largely on Bolduc and Xhekaj remaining unsigned. No subsequent credible report has confirmed that Montreal is actively negotiating a Bolduc trade.
In fact, the more recent reporting leans toward Bolduc remaining a Canadien.
Sportsnet expects his contract to be settled before September 16, while Martineau reports that Bolduc wants to stay in Montreal and that the conversations now involve how he can be used more effectively offensively.
That doesn’t kill the trade angle.
It changes it.
The real question isn’t whether Montreal is desperately trying to move Zachary Bolduc.
It’s whether Hughes is keeping every option open while trying to improve a roster that is moving closer to legitimate Stanley Cup contention.
If a major top-six forward becomes available and another team wants Bolduc as part of the return, I believe Hughes would listen.
Until then, the most likely outcome remains a new contract and another opportunity for Bolduc to prove his 19-goal season in St. Louis wasn’t an outlier.
But as long as one of Montreal’s most intriguing young forwards remains unsigned this close to camp, Zachary Bolduc trade rumors aren’t going away completely.
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