Zachary Bolduc has signed a four-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens, closing the most talked about contract case of their summer.
The deal, reported by Elliotte Friedman this Sunday, carries a $4.2 million annual value across four seasons.
General manager Kent Hughes got this done just hours before training camp opens Tuesday, right down to the wire.
Bolduc finished last season with 30 points on 12 goals and 18 assists across 78 games, his production plateauing in year two.
He also posted a minus-6 rating over that stretch. Not exactly the resume that screams long term investment.
Analyst David Ettedgui had floated a shorter path instead, a two-year bridge in the $4.25 to $4.75 million range.
Bolduc and his camp took the opposite bet. More years, a touch less money per season.
Is four years the right call for a middle six winger who hasn't cracked 30 points twice in a row? That's the real question here.
Signing four years on a $4.2 million number is like locking a mortgage rate longer than you need. You get comfort now, but you're stuck with it if the market shifts.
Xhekaj now stands alone without a deal in Montreal
His agent, Philippe Lecavalier, a former colleague of Hughes, pushed these talks right to the final hour before camp.
Bolduc had made clear he wanted to stay long term in Montreal, provided the role let him play his game.
The term also takes him straight through to unrestricted free agency once it expires, skipping another bridge negotiation down the road.
Montreal finished last season 48-24-10 for 106 points, with a plus-27 goal differential and a real playoff push.
This signing comes just hours after Montreal added Chris Kreider, who now shows up on the roster at a $6.5 million cap hit.
Arber Xhekaj remains the only Canadiens free agent with compensation still without a contract as camp approaches.
That leaves one loose thread hanging over Brossard this week, and not much time left to tie it off before puck drop on the season.
-
Should the Canadiens have locked up Zachary Bolduc for four years instead of a shorter bridge deal?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Elliotte Friedman confirms major developments around Connor Hellebuyck
