When the St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens pulled off a surprising one-for-one swap last summer-Logan Mailloux for Zachary Bolduc-it raised more than a few eyebrows.
Neither player was openly on the trade block, and both were former first-round picks still carving out their NHL identities. Now, approaching the 50-game mark of the season, we’ve got a clearer picture of how this deal is unfolding-and it’s been anything but one-sided.
Let’s start with the basics: on July 1, 2025, the Blues sent Bolduc, a promising young winger coming off a solid sophomore campaign (19 goals, 36 points in 72 games), to Montreal. In return, they picked up Mailloux, a right-shot defenseman who had just seven NHL games under his belt but showed flashes of offensive upside with two goals and four points.
At first glance, the move was a head-scratcher. Bolduc looked like a rising contributor in St.
Louis, while Mailloux was still largely a project-raw, talented, but unpolished, particularly in his own zone. But dig a little deeper, and the logic on both sides comes into focus.
The Canadiens needed young, goal-scoring wingers to bolster their depth. The Blues, meanwhile, were hunting for a defenseman with offensive tools who could grow into a bigger role over time.
For St. Louis, this was always going to be a long play.
Developing defensemen takes time-especially ones like Mailloux, who bring offensive instincts but need refinement defensively. And early returns this season have shown just how steep that learning curve can be.
Through 34 games, Mailloux has registered just one goal and one assist while averaging 13:47 of ice time per night. His minus-22 rating tells the story of a player still finding his footing in the NHL.
But to his credit, there’s been visible growth. After a rough start, he was sent down to AHL Springfield for a five-game stint-an opportunity to reset.
Since returning, he’s been paired with veteran Cam Fowler, and the results have been steadier. His ice time has ticked up, and the Blues showed faith by extending him on a one-year deal.
It’s clear the organization sees potential worth investing in.
On the flip side, Bolduc hit the ground running in Montreal. He scored in each of his first three games and quickly earned looks on the Canadiens’ top line and top power-play unit.
For a moment, it looked like Montreal had pulled off a heist. But as the season’s worn on, Bolduc’s production has cooled.
He hasn’t found the back of the net in his last 12 games and has been bumped down to the fourth line, though he still gets some power-play time on the second unit.
Through 49 games, Bolduc has 10 goals and 18 points-on pace for 17 goals and 30 points over a full 82-game season. That’s actually a step back from last year’s totals with the Blues, despite playing more games.
Like Mailloux, he’s just 22, and there’s still plenty of development ahead. But the early narrative that Montreal fleeced St.
Louis? That’s cooled significantly.
What we’re seeing now is a trade that’s still very much in progress. Both players have had their moments-both highs and lows-and both teams are playing the long game with their respective acquisitions. Mailloux is getting NHL reps and learning on the job, while Bolduc is trying to rediscover the spark he showed early in the year.
There’s no clear “winner” yet. And that’s probably how it should be when two teams swap former first-rounders still developing their NHL identities. But if there’s one thing this deal has proven, it’s that progress isn’t always linear-and sometimes, patience is the most important part of the plan.