Zack Bolduc suits the Blues well: ‘Really developing into an all-around NHL player'
ST. LOUIS — Zack Bolduc walks into the rink on game night wearing a dark suit, no socks and stylish dress shoes. The 22-year-old, a 2021 first-round pick from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, looks the part of an NHL player off the ice.
There was anticipation after back-to-back 50-goal seasons in junior hockey, and 25 games with the St. Louis Blues last season, that he'd begin to look the part on the ice in 2024-25. There have been some hiccups, however, and he was a healthy scratch in 10 of the Blues' first 49 games.
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In what the club is calling a competitive retool, fans feel young players should be allowed to play through their mistakes and they want Bolduc in uniform — not his suit.
'There's different ways to become a consistent NHL player,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. 'Sometimes sitting up in the press box and watching is part of that path, and for him it was part of that path. It's always a good thing to recognize that there are going to be hard times and you have to overcome them and stay with it. We want them to have success right away, too, but that's not life. It's just part of the process.'
From being a healthy scratch to being heavy on the forecheck, Bolduc's process is taking shape. He scored his 12th goal of the season and was promoted to the Blues' top line in their 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.
But what's more important than Bolduc's offense, which includes 25 points in 56 games, is why he's scoring and why Montgomery gave him a prime assignment: the smart plays, the physicality and the defensive responsibility that has made him a legitimate factor in the team turning its season around.
'He works at his game, and you see it behind the scenes working with the coaches,' Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. 'His 200-foot game is getting way better and he's made huge strides. He's a guy that comes in with a great attitude every single day, competes hard, and he's a really good teammate. It's good to see him get rewarded for it.'
🚨 BOLDUC GETS US ON THE BOARD 🚨 #stlblues pic.twitter.com/eYLeMT2Zga
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) March 14, 2025
Since the Blues' 6-5 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 8, Bolduc has been on the ice for nine five-on-five goals for and just four against, per Natural Stat Trick. In those 11 games, his plus-five rating has improved him to a team-best plus-13 this season.
'I'm playing well, but all the team is playing well,' Bolduc said. 'Since we've gotten back from the (4 Nations Face-Off) break, I feel my mindset is different — just be ready to compete. Even if it's a morning skate, you've got to be ready to work hard.
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'It's an everyday battle. You've got to think about your details and practice with good tempo so that it becomes natural in games. That's what I've been doing, and I've just got to keep doing it.'
There have been plenty of examples of Bolduc's progress on the Blues' current road trip.
In their 3-2 shootout win over Los Angeles last week, it's a simple one.
LA is exiting the defensive zone when Oskar Sundqvist creates a turnover. Bolduc pounces on the puck and skates up ice, but when he runs out of room in the offensive zone, he doesn't try to force it. Instead, he backhands a pass toward Mathieu Joseph in the middle of the ice. The puck sails into the corner, but Cam Fowler pinches in and sends it back behind the net and the offense maintains possession.
The line of Bolduc, Sundqvist and Joseph has been strong since first playing together against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 6. They've played 103 minutes since then and had more shots (50-36) and scoring chances (49-33) than the opposing line, though the goals are even, 4-4.
'One thing that makes it easy is playing with the same guys game after game,' Bolduc said. 'You can build some chemistry, and I think our games are mixing well together.'
The success is due, in part, to plays like the one Bolduc made in LA.
'We know he's got the shot, the skill, the speed, all that stuff,' Sundqvist said. 'But if you watch him from the first game of the year, he's grown a lot more in situations with the puck and his decision-making. On some plays, 'Well, this is the situation, I have to chip it in, I can't try to dangle this guy.' He's made really big steps in that aspect.'
Sundqvist has been preaching that to Bolduc, which is part of the reason Montgomery has the veteran on a line with the rookie.
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'The one thing that goes unnoticed is how important Sundqvist is to the development of the players that play on his line,' Montgomery said. 'He understands the game at such a high level and he talks to those guys every shift. Players, especially your leaders, have to reinforce the message verbally and help guide those guys.'
Two nights later in a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks, Bolduc netted his 11th goal of the season for a 3-1 lead in the third period. But the sequence starts with Bolduc playing some tight defense on Leo Carlsson, taking away the middle of the ice.
The Blues recover the puck, and as they do, Bolduc takes a pass from Cam Fowler, splits the Ducks' defense and scores.
It was a great finish by Bolduc, but again, it's what he was doing earlier in the shift.
'He's stopping on pucks,' Montgomery said. 'Defensively, not falling below the puck. The other two things, what he looks like when (he's using) his speed and his physicality in one-on-one battles.'
That's led to more trust from the coaches.
'I think they had confidence in me, but it's on me to be ready to play mentally and physically,' Bolduc said. 'That's what I've heard a lot of the coaches saying that when I'm doing video with them — just stick with it.'
Montgomery was asked if there was a player Bolduc reminded him of, in terms of development and potential.
'I would say the best comparison that we can see from growth would be right in front of him, (Dylan) Holloway,' he said. 'Not that he's the same player, but if you want to chart a course and a pathway for his growth, that's what we hope to see.'
Holloway, 23, is in his third full season in the NHL, and after scoring again Thursday, he has 21 goals in 66 games. He likes what he's seeing in his young teammate.
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'Boldy is starting to figure out the league,' Holloway said. 'It's definitely a transition, but it seems like he's transitioning very well. You've just got to find a way to be effective every night. You've got to prove to the team that you can do other things that can keep you in the lineup. Then once you do that and start building a leash with the coach, you get more opportunity and that's when your offensive abilities kick in.'
In the final game of the Blues' three-game West Coast swing, a 2-1 overtime loss to LA, Bolduc showed off more of what's made him successful lately. He got in on the forecheck, and after getting knocked down by the Kings' Brandt Clarke, he jumped back on his feet, stole the puck and made a pass to Jake Neighbours. Seconds later, Nick Leddy tied the score at one on a point shot with Bolduc screening the goalie.
After the game, Montgomery called Bolduc's sequence with the forecheck and the screen 'winning hockey.'
'That second and third effort of staying on pucks on the forecheck is where you really see players become impactful,' Montgomery said.
Bolduc is feeling as proud of those plays as he is the goals.
'Yeah, it feels good to see the little result from the forechecking in LA,' he said. 'No one is going to get the puck for you. You've got to go get it yourself. It's part of my game now to be heavy on the forecheck, create some turnovers and have a good stick. Those are the details that you put your focus on, and they're paying off.
'Now you see the results coming. I'm feeling good about my game, but I still have more, and I still can get better at some stuff on my overall game.'
He looks the part on the ice, and after being in the Blues' lineup for the 17th straight game Thursday, the healthy scratches are perhaps a thing of the past.
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'Yeah, he's really developing into an all-around NHL player,' Montgomery said. 'He's been really good for us. He's doing a lot of good little things that are adding up to big things for the team. Every game since we've been back from the break, I've been confident in Bolduc because he's just doing the right things to help us win.'
(Photo of Zack Bolduc: Courtesy of St. Louis Blues)
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