Canadiens: Advantage Hughes

While the Montreal Canadiens were registering a big win over the Detroit Red Wings last night, former Hab Logan Mailloux was making his debut with the St. Louis Blues, and to say things didn’t go well would be an understatement.

Skating on the third pair alongside Tyler Tucker, Mailloux saw just over 14 minutes of action and was on the ice for two of the Minnesota Wild’s five goals. In 21 shifts, he landed three hits and committed one giveaway.

Meanwhile, Zack Bolduc, whom Kent Hughes acquired for Mailloux over the summer, is having an excellent start to his Canadiens’ career. In two games, he has scored two goals and is a significant contributor to the success of Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach, who are off to good starts to their seasons.

Beautiful passing by the #Habs here, and Zachary Bolduc has two goals in as many games in the Tricolore. pic.twitter.com/rD6floDxCg

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) October 9, 2025

The Trois-Rivieres native is a real two-way player; he gives his whole at both ends of the ice, he’s defensively responsible, and a real handful for the opposition in the attacking zone. On Thursday night, he only scored one goal, but his battle with Albert Johansson in front of the net allowed Alex Carrier to score his first goal of the season.

It’s a small sample, but so far, Bolduc looks like a hockey player, not just someone who plays hockey —an expression that Martin St-Louis reserves for the best players. He’s willing to do it all, the small defensive details and the big offensive play.

So far, it looks like Hughes has had the upper hand in the deal with his counterpart Doug Armstrong, but it’s worth remembering that defensemen do take longer to develop than forwards normally. At this stage, it’s impossible to know precisely what Mailloux’s ceiling will be, but for now, the Canadiens’ decision to use him to get help up front after acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders looks astute.

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