Canadiens should give Zachary Bolduc another chance on the team’s top line
Zachary Bolduc’s debut season with the Montreal Canadiens definitely did not go the way he would have wanted. Bolduc was one of the Canadiens’ prized acquisitions from last offseason, coming over from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Logan Mailloux. Bolduc started the season hot, scoring in the team’s first three games, but his form quickly dropped, recording just nine more for the rest of the year. Bolduc’s production hit an all-time low late in the season, and he was briefly healthy scratched before returning to the lineup. Things seemed to start to click for Bolduc during the Canadiens’ playoff run, and he was a part of the team’s most effective line in the opening round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Some may be down on Bolduc after posting just 12 goals in the regular season, but his play in the playoffs should give some optimism that he could still pan out on the Canadiens’ top line.
Bolduc’s lacklustre first season in Montreal
Bolduc has the pedigree of a goalscorer. In the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts, Bolduc recorded 105 goals over his final two seasons, but that has yet to translate to success in the NHL. As a rookie with the Blues, Bolduc struggled early in the season, but recorded 11 goals in the final 22 games of the year, bringing him one shy of hitting the 20-goal mark. With the Canadiens having a surplus of defencemen, they decided to move Mailloux to acquire Bolduc to see if he could be an answer for them in their top six. At the beginning of the season, it looked like the Canadiens absolutely fleeced the Blues. Bolduc had three goals in his first three games, while Mailloux had 0 points and was a minus-9 in the Blues’ first five games. However, Bolduc could not maintain his scoring pace over the entire season.
The goals became more and more spaced out for Bolduc, going through long stretches without finding the back of the net. Bolduc went 13 games without recording a goal, stretching from the end of October until the end of November, but that was not his longest gap between goals. Bolduc scored a goal against the Boston Bruins on December 23rd and would not find the back of the net again until March 26th against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The goal drought lasted 31 games, and Bolduc was a healthy scratch a couple of times during that span. Bolduc scored just one more time after ending the long-standing drought, bringing his season total to 12, a seven-goal drop-off from his rookie season. While Bolduc’s production remained at a similar level in the playoffs, his play stood out, leaving room for optimism that he can still be a player the Canadiens could use in their top six.
Bolduc fits what the Canadiens need on the first line
When the Canadiens were dealing with injuries early in the season, the coaching staff decided to move Juraj Slafkovsky to the second line alongside Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, which did wonders for the Slovakian winger’s game. In contrast, the top line struggled the first couple of weeks as they looked for someone to fill the void left by Slafkovsky. Bolduc was the first player to get a shot on the team’s top line. But with his production remaining limited, the Canadiens replaced him with Alexandre Texier, who found instant chemistry with his new linemates. Following the Olympic break, both the first and second lines were struggling, and Martin St. Louis and his staff decided to reunite Slafkovsky with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, which helped reignite the top line. With Slafkovsky off the first line, they miss having a big body who could retrieve pucks in the corners, but keeping him there makes the Canadiens easier to play against, with opponents having to focus on just one line. Something that needs to be addressed going into next season.
Together, Slafkovsky, Suzuki, and Caufield give the Canadiens one of the more dynamic lines in the NHL, but it comes at a cost. The Canadiens have struggled with depth scoring, and with Slafkovsky moving back onto the first line, Kapanen and Demidov’s production suffered. The Canadiens need to have at least two lines they can depend on for offence, and that is where Bolduc comes in. He does all the little things right. He is physical, can win puck battles along the boards, and has a great release. He needs to find a way to put it all together. The Canadiens have been linked to Kirill Marchenko all offseason, but if a trade does not materialize, they should definitely give Bolduc another chance to see if he can help balance out the team’s lineup. The potential is clearly there. He has to find a way to display it consistently.
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