Canadiens Forward Ready to Help Wherever

The Montreal Canadiens offseason forward acquisition is hoping to fill in wherever he's needed.

Sep 28, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski (55) defends against St. Louis Blues forward Zachary Bolduc (76) in the second period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens acquired Zachary Bolduc during the current offseason, addressing a need, trading away Logan Mailloux, from a position of strength.

With Bolduc in the fold, the Canadiens added a forward who played plenty of center during his junior hockey career. He is known for playing a physical brand of hockey, which is exactly what the organization can use. The Washington Capitals pushed the Canadiens around in the first round of the playoffs, so general manager Kent Hughes made a move to toughen up the forward group.

Zack Bolduc says he’s ready to play on the Habs penalty kill & just wants to help the team win:

👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/JLBF0XxF99

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 13, 2025

It also must be noted that the Canadiens lost some key forwards, with Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia, two of the club's top penalty killers, finding new homes. This leaves the Canadiens needing somebody to fill in, eating up those important minutes killing off odd-man advantages.

Bolduc, however, feels that despite never playing as a penalty killer during his rookie season with the St. Louis Blues that he would be a great option for Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis to deploy on the penalty kill, thanks to his smarts and vision.

Tenacity is also synonymous with Bolduc's play style, and thanks to his willingness to play a physical brand of hockey and his attention to detail, he could stand to become a cog on the Canadiens penalty kill, an area that they will certainly be looking to improve.

Armia and Dvorak killed the bulk of the Canadiens penalties, with a blend of Jake Evans and captain Nick Suzuki filling the other two forward roles, so the need for a forward or two to step up and carry the boat will be obvious.

Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans (71) plays the puck against the Washington Capitals during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Bolduc loves to be in the middle of everything, and his fantastic footspeed is something that is natural for him, which will only benefit him, should he get the nod to kill penalties for Marty. Being disruptive is also second-nature for Bolduc, and with some hard work, stick checks, and smart defensive position, will not only give him a chance at some time on a Canadiens' special teams unit, but also in his bid to play center.

Montreal is hoping to take the next step, and though they lost some key pieces, the ones they added in place, in due time, may be relied upon to fill important roles. The dream is to bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal, and playing the right way is the tested way to achieve such a hefty goal.

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