Zachary Bolduc remains unsigned with the Montreal Canadiens, and training camp is now less than two weeks away.
Sportsnet's Eric Engels believes a deal gets done before players report for physicals on September 16, floating a three-year contract worth roughly $4 million annually.
That timeline matters. Bolduc reportedly wants to stay in Montreal, and money isn't described as the actual holdup here.
Anthony Martineau of Le Journal de Montreal reported that Bolduc's offensive role, not just dollars, has become central to these talks.
He averaged just 13:38 of ice time per game last season, buried lower in Montreal's lineup despite brief stretches on the top line.
Would you sign the deal too if your ice time kept shrinking the exact season you were supposed to take a step forward?
Montreal acquired Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues for Logan Mailloux in July 2025, banking on a player coming off a 19-goal breakout year.
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Canadiens closing in on new Zachary Bolduc contract before training camp
His first season in Montreal didn't match that breakout. Bolduc finished with 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points across 78 games.
The playoffs told a different story. He added three goals and four assists for seven points during Montreal's 19-game run to the Eastern Conference Final.
His postseason ice time actually dropped to around 11:23 a night, yet his scoring rate per minute climbed compared to the regular season, per NHLTradeRumor.com's own tracking model.
It's the hockey version of a part-time employee outproducing the person working full shifts. That's an awkward stat to argue against at the bargaining table.
Montreal currently projects out with roughly $9.78 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia. Affording Bolduc was never really the issue here.
At that price point, he'd eat up close to 3.85 percent of next season's cap ceiling, leaving Kent Hughes plenty of room to work with.
This standoff reads like one about term and role, not whether the Canadiens can cut the check.
Montreal Gazette columnist Stu Cowan floated a different idea over the summer, a possible sign-and-trade involving Bolduc or fellow unsigned defenseman Arber Xhekaj.
That was speculation, not a report of Montreal actively shopping him. No credible source has confirmed talks like that are actually happening.
Bleacher Report still ranked him ninth on its September trade targets board, proof his name hasn't fully left that conversation around the league.
Trading a controllable 23-year-old just because his contract is running late would be a bad process, no matter how often his name pops up elsewhere.
The more realistic outcome has Hughes signing Bolduc, testing whether last year's limited role was really the problem, and holding that trade chip for later.
Physicals hit September 16. One way or another, Bolduc's next contract is arriving before puck drop this fall.
Should the Canadiens trade Zachary Bolduc if these contract talks keep dragging?
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