For those who were hoping that Logan Mailloux would be used in a trade to land Jordan Kyron, the news that he had been traded one-for-one for Zack Bolduc might have been underwhelming initially. Still, anyone who takes a closer look at the deal realizes it’s once again a great deal for Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes.
Essentially, Hughes flipped a defenseman who had become surplus to requirements following Noah Dobson’s arrival and the fact that he was overtaken by David Reinbacher in the depth chart for a forward who could have been the prototype of a Martin St-Louis wish list player.
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As Hughes rightly pointed out in his media availability, Bolduc’s physicality will make up for the fact that he had to sacrifice some of that when he traded Heineman to the New York Islanders last week. Furthermore, despite being only 22 years old, Bolduc appears to be wise beyond his years. When a journalist asked him how he had become a more physical player, he explained that he wanted to play in the NHL so badly that he realized he needed to become more physical. He added that he learned that finishing your check can create both space and opportunities for your teammates and that it’s worth doing it. Does that sound kind of familiar?
If it does, it’s because St-Louis keeps explaining that’s how he wants Juraj Slafkovsky to play, saying that if he moves his feet and does the less glorious plays, he will have more success. If the coach says that to Bolduc, he will be preaching to the choir, as he has already been converted.
While Bolduc spent most of his time on the Blues’ third line last season playing under 13 minutes a night, he does have the ability to play in a team’s top six, especially a team like the Canadiens that’s desperately trying to put together a second-line which would force opponents to ease off their top line a bit to keep an eye on the second.
Interestingly, Bolduc also mentioned that he has played center in the past, and it’s a position he would be open to playing again. Hughes refused to discuss who would play where in his media availability, saying that would be up to the coach, but it’s nice to know the option is there for St-Louis if he so desires. As things stand right now, Kirby Dach will likely be penciled in as the second-line pivot, but just the fact that there’s another option to push him is good news. Not that Dach should need any extra motivation since he’ll be playing in his contract year come October, but it certainly cannot hurt.
Back to Bolduc, TVA Sports’ Anthony Martineau spoke to former Philadelphia Flyers player and Quebec Remparts general manager Simon Gagne, who won a Memorial Cup with Bolduc in his last year with the Quebec City outfit in the QMJHL. Gagne had nothing but positive things to say about the youngster. Gagne said:
He’s got one of the best shots I’ve seen in a long time. He puts the puck where he wants. His one-timer is ultra-efficient. A good skater. He’s also a character guy who loves stirring things up with the opponent. I see him playing in the top six in Montreal, but also adapting and playing in the top nine. He’ll bring a lot of attack to the Canadiens and will help the power play.- Simon Gagne on Zack Bolduc
Some glowing words from an experienced NHL player and a man who has worked in junior hockey for years.
When Bolduc was asked what his ceiling was, he replied right away that he didn’t want a ceiling, that he didn’t know what his ceiling is, and that he doesn’t want to reach it anytime soon. The youngster wants to keep improving and working on his game, which he’ll undoubtedly be encouraged to do while working under a coach like St-Louis.
Like most French-Canadian players, he grew up watching the Canadiens, and he’s excited to join them. As for the pressure in Montreal, Blais states that it’s just a matter of managing it well, which he can already do because he puts a lot of pressure on himself when he plays.
Asked if he was surprised to be traded, he said he wasn’t expecting it, even though he knew the Blues needed to get some young defensemen, so in that sense, it wasn’t a surprise to see them make a trade. Doug Armstrong spoke to him for a couple of minutes to inform him that he had been traded, and then he said that he would be joining Hughes, St. Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier. He got the impression they were all sitting around the same table, talking to him.
As for Mailloux, during Hughes’ media availability, he was asked what didn’t work with him and why he was the one he decided to trade, and he explained:
Nothing didn’t work with Logan. In Logan’s case, he had an exceptional rookie season in the AHL, but we sent him back there this season to focus on the defensive side and continue preparing for his NHL career. I think it’s normal when you focus so much on that aspect of your play that there’s a bit of offensive regression, but we told him not to worry about that. The trade is just like the Dobson trade; we traded from a position of depth, and we needed forwards.- Kent Hughes on why Logan Mailloux was traded
In the end, this appears to be a solid trade for both sides, and I suspect we’ll need to wait a while to find out who won this one.
Photo credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images
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