Canadiens โฃYet to Begin Contract Talks with Forward Zachary Bolduc
Montreal,โ QC -โฃ Despite a promisingโข start to the season, contractโ negotiations between the Montreal Canadiens and forward Zachary Bolduc have not yetโ begun, according to โrecent reports from Lavoie. This silence โsurrounding Bolduc’s future is drawing attention asโ he approaches โrestricted free agency at the end of the current season.
The lack of discussions comes as Bolduc’s role on the team has diminished in recent weeks. โAfter initially being aโข key contributor, he hasโข been relegated to a supporting role forโ the past 11 games, culminatingโค in beingโฃ the least-used forward โขin last Thursday’s โขgame against the New Jersey Devils. This reduced playing time isโข impacting perceptions of his value and potentially influencing the urgency of contract talks.
“Nothing. No discussions. โฃComplete silence,” Lavoie stated regarding the negotiations.
Bolduc shares a similarโ free agency status โคwithโ forward kirby Dach, bothโ qualifying as restricted freeโค agents. While acknowledging Bolduc โand prospect Hutson โareโค not comparable players, the situation highlights the Canadiens’ favorable โposition in negotiations.
the team currently has little incentive โtoโฃ proactively engageโข inโ contract discussions given Bolduc’s current โrole. โขAs Anthony Martineau โขof โnoted, “What exactly are we criticizingโ Zachary Bolduc for? A key piece at the start of the season when heโ was givenโฆ the opportunity to be one, he has been confined to a supporting and/or much less critically important role for 11 gamesโ now.”
Observersโ note Bolducโ isn’t performing poorly,โข but โhis limited ice time restricts his abilityโ toโฃ make a significant impact. Theโ Canadiens retain control through his restricted free agent status, allowing them to reassess his value as his role and opportunities potentially evolve. The team appears content to wait โฃand see if Bolduc can regain โฃa more prominent position within the โlineup.