Cowan: Canadiens' rebuild takes another step in right direction
Article content
Bolduc, a right-winger, was ranked 17th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and the St. Louis Blues took the Trois-Rivières native with the 17th pick.
Article content
Former Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin ended up taking defenceman Logan Mailloux, who had been ranked 23rd by NHL Central Scouting, with the 31st pick. That created a firestorm because Mailloux had renounced himself from the draft, saying he didn't deserve the honour or privilege of being selected that year after secretly photographing an 18-year-old woman engaged in a sexual act with him while in Sweden in 2020 and sharing the picture and her identity with his teammates. Mailloux was charged in Sweden with defamation and offensive photography and was fined about $2,000.
Article content
Article content
On Tuesday, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes got Bolduc from the Blues in exchange for Mailloux. The trade involving two 22-year-olds could be looked at like the Canadiens moving up 14 spots at the 2021 draft.
Article content
Bolduc had 19-17-36 totals in 72 games last season with the Blues, while Mailloux had 12-21-33 totals in 63 games with the AHL's Laval Rocket and 2-2-4 totals in seven games with the Canadiens. Mailloux became expendable after Hughes acquired 25-year-old defenceman Noah Dobson — also a right-hand shot — from the New York Islanders last Friday in exchange for the 16th and 17th overall picks at that night's NHL Draft and 23-year-old forward Emil Heineman.
Article content
Article content
Hughes said it wasn't a case of things not working out with Mailloux — who has struggled with the defensive side of the game — but after acquiring Dobson, it allowed him to look for some much-needed offensive help at the forward position.
Article content
Article content
Hughes likes Bolduc's offensive potential, noting he almost hit the 20-goal mark last season while averaging only 12:48 of ice time per game. Hughes added that the 6-foot, 187-pound Bolduc is a good skater and improved a lot last season with his physical play and forechecking. Bolduc also has 97 games of NHL experience, during which he has posted 24-21-45 totals. Mailloux has played only eight games in the NHL, with 2-3-5 totals.
Article content
'I think when you can add experience and keep it young, that would be the ideal,' Hughes said when asked about the mix of youth and experience as the Canadiens head into Year 4 of their rebuild after becoming the youngest team to make the playoffs last season. 'I think that's the case in Noah Dobson's situation, where you get a young guy who played in the NHL as a teenager. He's 25, but he's got a significant amount of experience and, at the same time, can grow with our group. So that's important.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Montreal Gazette
12 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Canadiens' Nick Suzuki and his wife, Caitlin, share photos from magical wedding
Montreal Canadiens Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki married his longtime girlfriend Caitlin Fitzgerald, 25, in the Turks and Caicos on June 9 in a private ceremony. On Saturday, they held a wedding party in Montreal that was attended by most of Suzuki's current team and a few recent teammates, including Carey Price and Jeff Petry. The newlyweds are both from London, Ont., and met through mutual friends, staying in touch on Instagram and Snapchat while he was living out of town playing hockey, and as Fitzgerald said on the Canadiens website last year: 'The rest is history.' They became engaged in the spring of 2024 during a trip to the Dominican Republic. 'He's super compassionate,' Fitzgerald said on the Canadiens website when asked what some of Suzuki's best qualities are. 'He's super easy to get along with. There are a lot of things about him all in one realm. I think his demeanour in general is something that is one of his greatest qualities. Anything you throw at him, any stressful situation, any bad situation - he always knows how to handle everything, and he does it calmly.' When asked if he does anything that annoys her, Fitzgerald said: 'Yes! (laughs). He's quite messy at home. He'll take off his outfit from the day and leave it on the floor. I'll find piles of clothes beside his bed. But when asked, he will make sure he cleans up.' Suzuki is one of the few Canadiens players who sticks around Montreal during the summer, which is something Fitzgerald really enjoys. 'I think the city in the summer is something super special,' she told the Canadiens website. 'We really enjoy the food scene, the restaurants and the concerts. We try to make the most of everything here in the summer. I don't know, I just think the city has so much to offer. We're super lucky to call it home. It really feels like home to both of us, so we're happy to be here all summer.' Suzuki, 25, was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL entry draft. The Canadiens acquired him on Sept. 10, 2018, as well as Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft in exchange for veteran forward Max Pacioretty. Suzuki made an impression during training camp, Suzuki was named to the Canadiens' opening-night roster for the 2019–20 season, making his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 2019. Before the start of the 2022-23 season, he became the youngest captain in franchise history after signing an eight-year, US$63-million contract. This past season, he set a career-high with 89 points, including 30 goals, as the Canadiens made the playoffs for the first time in four years, before bowing out to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round.
Ottawa Citizen
12 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Canadiens' Nick Suzuki and his wife, Caitlin, share photos from magical wedding
Article content Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki married his longtime girlfriend Caitlin Fitzgerald, 25, in the Turks and Caicos on June 9 in a private ceremony. Article content On Saturday, they held a wedding party in Montreal that was attended by most of Suzuki's current team and a few recent teammates, including Carey Price and Jeff Petry. Article content Article content The newlyweds are both from London, Ont., and met through mutual friends, staying in touch on Instagram and Snapchat while he was living out of town playing hockey, and as Fitzgerald said on the Canadiens website last year: 'The rest is history.' Article content Article content Article content Article content 'He's super compassionate,' Fitzgerald said on the Canadiens website when asked what some of Suzuki's best qualities are. 'He's super easy to get along with. There are a lot of things about him all in one realm. I think his demeanour in general is something that is one of his greatest qualities. Anything you throw at him, any stressful situation, any bad situation – he always knows how to handle everything, and he does it calmly.' Article content When asked if he does anything that annoys her, Fitzgerald said: 'Yes! (laughs). He's quite messy at home. He'll take off his outfit from the day and leave it on the floor. I'll find piles of clothes beside his bed. But when asked, he will make sure he cleans up.' Article content Suzuki is one of the few Canadiens players who sticks around Montreal during the summer, which is something Fitzgerald really enjoys. Article content Article content 'I think the city in the summer is something super special,' she told the Canadiens website. 'We really enjoy the food scene, the restaurants and the concerts. We try to make the most of everything here in the summer. I don't know, I just think the city has so much to offer. We're super lucky to call it home. It really feels like home to both of us, so we're happy to be here all summer.' Article content Article content Suzuki, 25, was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL entry draft. Article content The Canadiens acquired him on Sept. 10, 2018, as well as Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft in exchange for veteran forward Max Pacioretty. Article content Suzuki made an impression during training camp, Suzuki was named to the Canadiens' opening-night roster for the 2019–20 season, making his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 2019. Article content Before the start of the 2022-23 season, he became the youngest captain in franchise history after signing an eight-year, US$63-million contract. Article content This past season, he set a career-high with 89 points, including 30 goals, as the Canadiens made the playoffs for the first time in four years, before bowing out to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round. Article content
Vancouver Sun
12 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canadiens' Nick Suzuki and his wife, Caitlin, share photos from magical wedding
Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki married his longtime girlfriend Caitlin Fitzgerald, 25, in the Turks and Caicos on June 9 in a private ceremony. On Saturday, they held a wedding party in Montreal that was attended by most of Suzuki's current team and a few recent teammates, including Carey Price and Jeff Petry. The newlyweds are both from London, Ont., and met through mutual friends, staying in touch on Instagram and Snapchat while he was living out of town playing hockey, and as Fitzgerald said on the Canadiens website last year: 'The rest is history.' They became engaged in the spring of 2024 during a trip to the Dominican Republic. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'He's super compassionate,' Fitzgerald said on the Canadiens website when asked what some of Suzuki's best qualities are. 'He's super easy to get along with. There are a lot of things about him all in one realm. I think his demeanour in general is something that is one of his greatest qualities. Anything you throw at him, any stressful situation, any bad situation – he always knows how to handle everything, and he does it calmly.' When asked if he does anything that annoys her, Fitzgerald said: 'Yes! (laughs). He's quite messy at home. He'll take off his outfit from the day and leave it on the floor. I'll find piles of clothes beside his bed. But when asked, he will make sure he cleans up.' Suzuki is one of the few Canadiens players who sticks around Montreal during the summer, which is something Fitzgerald really enjoys. 'I think the city in the summer is something super special,' she told the Canadiens website. 'We really enjoy the food scene, the restaurants and the concerts. We try to make the most of everything here in the summer. I don't know, I just think the city has so much to offer. We're super lucky to call it home. It really feels like home to both of us, so we're happy to be here all summer.' Suzuki, 25, was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL entry draft. The Canadiens acquired him on Sept. 10, 2018, as well as Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft in exchange for veteran forward Max Pacioretty. Suzuki made an impression during training camp, Suzuki was named to the Canadiens' opening-night roster for the 2019–20 season, making his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 2019. Before the start of the 2022-23 season, he became the youngest captain in franchise history after signing an eight-year, US$63-million contract. This past season, he set a career-high with 89 points, including 30 goals, as the Canadiens made the playoffs for the first time in four years, before bowing out to the Washington Capitals in five games in the first round.
