The Canadiens moved quickly on Zachary Bolduc, and the deal they handed him looks like the kind of contract teams love to lock in before the market gets any louder. The winger signed for four years at $4.2 million per season, running through 2030, and Montréal appears to have secured him at a number that fits both his role and the team’s needs.
That matters even more as other RFAs keep coming off the board with training camp getting closer. The longer this stretch goes, the more the Bolduc contract stands out for its term.
Bolduc arrived in Montréal in July 2025, coming over from the St. Louis Blues in a one-for-one trade for Logan Mailloux.
The Canadiens got the winger they wanted to bring into the NHL lineup right away, while Mailloux had spent most of his time with the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval. Before the move, Bolduc had already shown real growth with St.
Louis, going from nine points in 25 games to 36 points in 72 games.
His first full season with the Canadiens was solid, even if it didn’t quite match that previous jump. Bolduc played 78 games in the 2025-26 season and finished with 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points. He came out hot with three goals in his first three games, but the scoring dried up after that, and he was even scratched a couple of times during the year.
Where he really changed the story was in the playoffs. Bolduc suited up for all 19 games, posted seven points, and led all Canadiens forwards in hits. That postseason run is what made the contract make sense for Montréal, and likely what pushed the team to move on the extension now.
PuckPedia currently lists Bolduc as a third-line winger, and even if that’s where he stays, the Canadiens are in good shape. His deal ranks sixth among third-line right wingers around the NHL. He also outproduced some of the players above him on that list in 2025-26, including Yegor Sharangovich and Kiefer Sherwood, though Sherwood did deal with an injury.
There’s also a chance Bolduc ends up higher in the lineup. He spent time on the first line because of injuries and could wind up back there, or at least settle in on the second line. If that happens, the value only gets better, since second-line wingers usually carry bigger cap hits.
Even within Montréal’s own books, the contract looks sharp. Newhook, who PuckPedia also lists as a third-line player, signed around the same time as Bolduc for $5.5 million. And by the 2027-28 season, only two currently signed forwards on the Canadiens will be making less than Bolduc.
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Xhekaj acknowledged the delay in getting the deal done and said the club had been working through moves to free up space before finalizing things. He also left the door open to helping up front if that is what it takes to stay in the lineup, a notable option for a player whose path to regular minutes may be affected by Montreals crowded defense and the expected absence of Kaiden Guhle. [Read more 🡒]