The Montreal Canadiens still have three restricted free agents left to lock up, and the wait on Zach Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj has sparked plenty of questions. The short answer: there’s no mystery deadline forcing Montreal’s hand, and the bigger picture still involves roster math, cap space, and whatever move Kent Hughes is trying to make next.
At the moment, Montreal is working with just over 14 million in cap space, according to Puckpedia, but that number has to cover Kirby Dach, Bolduc and Xhekaj. That alone helps explain why the Canadiens are taking their time.
A team can’t spend blindly when it still has important pieces to fit under the cap, and the order of operations matters. The players expected to command the biggest chunk usually get handled first, because once those numbers are set, the rest of the puzzle becomes easier to solve.
There’s also the trade market to consider. Hughes has been linked to the idea of adding a top-six forward, and that kind of player would come with a higher cap hit than Bolduc or Xhekaj are likely to carry.
If Montreal lands that type of forward, the impact on the salary structure would be immediate. And if that happens, the Canadiens may need to adjust elsewhere to make everything fit.
That’s part of why the club didn’t rush to get Bolduc and Xhekaj done before they reached RFA status. Neither player is viewed as the kind of target that would trigger an offer sheet the way a player like Leo Carlsson might. With respect to both Canadiens, their NHL track record doesn’t put them in the category of players who are likely to draw that sort of aggressive outside offer, so there hasn’t been the same urgency.
There’s precedent for Montreal letting this play out a little longer, too. Jayden Struble didn’t sign until July 30 last season, after filing for arbitration.
That created a hard negotiating line, since both sides had to reach an agreement before the arbitration process took over. Xhekaj didn’t file for arbitration, and Bolduc wasn’t eligible, which means there isn’t a built-in deadline pushing these talks forward.
So the delay isn’t a sign that Hughes is standing still. He’s still working the phones and trying to improve the roster.
And even if the Canadiens can’t find the trade they want, they still have to be careful not to overcommit on unsigned players. Keeping some flexibility matters, especially if Montreal wants room to maneuver later in the season when new options might open up.
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