The low season that leads to the 2025-26 season continues, and with the large events such as the NHL Entry Draft and Free Agent Frenzy completed, the dog days of summer clothing absorb while NHL management groups take a little breathing break before the training camps start. In this series I will try to investigate every schedule of Montreal Canadiens, summarize their last season and look ahead to this coming season. I will look at their place in the organization, their role and their possible impact.
Related: Montreal Canadiens: 3 Burning Questions on the way to the 2025-26 season
In the next step of the series I will continue to look at the forward group of the Canadiens, this time with the latest addition to Forward, Zachary Bolduc.
2024-25 season Summary
The Canadiens followed the trade for Noah Dobson by that time Exchanged from their 22-year-old right-handed defender Logan Mailloux on the St. Louis Blues in exchange for the 22-year-old winger Bolduc. Both players were first round Picks in the NHL concept of 2021, Bolduc 17th General and Mailloux 31st. Interestingly, it was the general manager of the Blues (GM) Doug Armstrong, who explained that This was a risk For his club. Mailloux participated in most of the 2024-25 season with the Laval Rocket from the American Hockey League (AHL), but according to many reports he is Ready to make the jump to the NHL. But with Dobson on the Roster, Canadiens GM saw Hughes the opportunity to exchange from a position of power to add a budding force forward in Bolduc.
Bolduc had a bit of a slow start of the 2024-25 season when he adapted to the NHL match, but he finished the season with 19 goals and 36 points in 72 games. But he really found his pass after the 4 Nations tournament. Bolduc scored 13 goals in those 26 games played to end the regular season. Bally -sports analyst Jamie Rivers believes that the real catalyst for Bolduc had changed the coaching when Jim Montgomery was brought in as the new head coach of the blues. Rivers explained that “He just scratched on the surface … If Jim Montgomery had been the head coach for the entire season, Zack Bolduc would have had 25-30 goals”.
In the course of the season, the 6-foot, 187 pounds Vooruit was on average 12:48 Ice Age per match with the blues but finished eighth in points and finished fourth in goals under all NHL-smokies. His seven Power-Play goals had him only made one goal behind budding superstar Macklin Celebrini. His game on the Power Play was a factor in the blues that qualify for the play -offs. But his effectiveness with even power made him a very effective NHL attacker.
Even like a Rookie, his possession and offensive advanced statistics were all positive. I just look at his Corsi for percentage of 50.75% and the expected goals for the percentage of 53.32% emphasize this. However, the most impressive are defensive figures. He finished second on the blues in expected goals against per 60 (XGA/60) and third in chances with a high danger per 60 (HDCA/60).
2025-26 season expectations
Bolduc is always seen as a target scorer. In his last two seasons in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), who played for the Quebec Remarts, Bolduc scored 105 goals in his 125 games played and in general he also played a key role in winning the 2023 memorial Cup. But it was his evolution in a two -way force that Excited Executive Vice President Jeff Gorton.
“What fascinates him most is his rise like a physical force ahead; he completes his game. He is still getting better.”
-Jeff Gorton
The expectations for Bolduc with Montreal in 2025-26 will be high. Based on his two-way game, forechacking style and skating skills, he will be familiar to not only be a grinder and puck-lecturer on his line, but also sees the use as a penalty murderer, who needs new faces after the schedule revenue that has taken place in the summer of 2025, he can end up more. There is optimism of his former coach, Simon Gagné, Die Bolduc Has the skills to reach the 30-target platform And succeed under head coach Martin St. Louis.
If he gets this kind of role, 2025-26 could be a breakout season for Bolduc. It would not be unrealistic to expect him to score 20 to 25 goals and reach the 40 to 45 points plateau. A factor will be if he is used in the top six next to Kirby Dach, and when Dach finally touches his potential.
It will be vital to integrate into the schedule of the Canadiens and to quickly find his niche if he wants to avoid the dreaded “second -year student”. His playing style fits in with the current core group, because they all play a game with a big game. He is also a local player from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, so he joins his youth team. He will participate in a much improved schedule in Montreal that will get the expectations of the play-off, but he is more than able to take on those kinds of challenges.
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