On July 1, 2025, the St. Louis Blues sent winger Zachary Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux.
The trade came as a shock, as neither player was seemingly on the trade block for either team, and Bolduc was coming off an impressive second NHL season in which he scored 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games.
Mailloux, on the other hand, had played just seven NHL games in 2024-25, but did notch two goals and four points.
While it was a trade that came out of nowhere, it’s one where logic was evident on both sides. The Canadiens needed to add young scoring wingers to their lineup, and did so with Bolduc. For the Blues, they wanted to add youth and offense to their blueline, doing so with Mailloux.
In the Blues case, the trade was always going to involve patience. Defensemen take longer to develop than forwards, especially wingers, and in Mailloux’s case, his most significant need for improvement was on the defensive side of the puck. This season, his struggles defensively have been on display.
The 22-year-old has recorded just one goal and one assist in 34 NHL games this season. He’s averaging 13:47 of ice time and owns a minus-22 rating. Though Mailloux’s game has steadied since his dreadful start to the season. Mailloux was sent to the Springfield Thunderbirds for a five-game stint before returning to the NHL.
Since his return, he’s skated alongside Cam Fowler, and the chatter about his game has diminished. He’s seen his ice time increase and was rewarded with a one-year contract extension.
Bolduc, on the other hand, has been the opposite. He stormed out of the gates, scoring in his first three games with the Habs, and saw ice time on the top line as well as the top power play unit. His production tailed off, and his role with the Canadiens slowly decreased. He’s been skating on the fourth line recently and sees time on the second power play unit.
He hasn’t scored in any of his last 12 games, and now posts 10 goals and 18 points in 49 games, on pace for 17 goals and 30 points in 82 games, fewer goals and points in more games than he had last season with the Blues.
He, too, is just 22 years old and is still developing, but the early narrative that the Canadiens fleeced the Blues in a trade that saw two former 2021 first-round picks swap has evaporated.
Much is still left to change, but at the moment, the trade has had its ups and downs for both teams.
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