The St. Louis Blues have traded Zachary Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Defenseman Logan Mailloux. Bolduc broke out with the St. Louis Blues last season, but St. Louis wanted to add a right-shot defenseman. Mailloux fit the bill. This trade makes sense for both teams, so let’s get into why that is the case.
Why This Trade Makes Sense For St. Louis
Blues fans won’t be pleased that Zachary Bolduc got moved, and that’s understandable. He broke out last season when he finally got consistent playing time, scoring 19 goals with 17 assists in 72 games played. That is really good production for a young player, but St. Louis has so much depth on the wing that they could afford to make this move. It is going to sting giving up a player like Zachary Bolduc, but Logan Mailloux fills a need for the Blues.
Logan Mailloux is a 22-year-old right defenseman who has played eight career NHL games, and he has seven points in those eight games. One thing the Blues were lacking in the organization was a young right-shot defenseman. The only right-shot defenseman in St. Louis’ prospect pool is Adam Jiricek. Mailloux will immediately get a chance to play on the St Louis blueline.
Why This Trade Makes Sense For Montreal
Acquiring Zachary Bolduc is a great move for Montreal. He is a future middle-six forward who will probably end up being a 30-goal scorer in the NHL. He is young enough to fit into Montreal’s timeline and forward core, and parting with Mailloux is okay since the Canadians have a ton of defenseman and there was no room for Mailloux.
Montreal has a crowded blue line after signing Noah Dobson, and Mailloux was getting little ice time as it was without Dobson, so at least the Canadians got something for him. The Canadians get the better player for right now, but Mailloux could be as productive as Bolduc with ample playing time. Win-win trade for both sides.
