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Zachary Bolduc, when he was with the St. Louis Blues. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Blues Should Have Never Traded Bolduc to the Canadiens

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Alex Chauvancy | Last updated Nov 8, 2025 10:55 AM ET

Much to our disappointment, the 2025 NHL offseason lacked any blockbuster trades. There were a few moves, but it was generally a quiet summer trade-wise. However, there were a couple of interesting ones, most notably the St. Louis Blues trading Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens for Logan Mailloux.

Bolduc had a solid 2024-25 season with the Blues, totaling 19 goals and 36 points in 79 games. On the other hand, Mailloux had minimal NHL experience, although he had been performing well in the AHL for the Laval Rocket. Even then, it was a curious trade for the Blues, and with them struggling out of the gate, an already iffy trade looks even more questionable to start this season.

Mailloux Is Struggling Early On

The Blues had an interesting offseason, even though general manager Doug Armstrong wasn’t super active. They clearly identified center as an area of weakness. It began with trading Bolduc to the Canadiens and replacing him by signing Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad in free agency. Suter was coming off a career season, so it may seem like adding both was an upgrade over Bolduc, but how much of an upgrade was it?

Bolduc was one of the Blues’ most valuable players a season ago. His overall game was worth a goals above replacement (GAR) of 14.7 and a wins above replacement (WAR) of 2.4. Both of those numbers ranked fourth among all Blues skaters, and keep in mind, he’s only 22 and doesn’t turn 23 until February. He looks like a young player on the rise, which is why it’s surprising the Blues traded him. You don’t see a promising young player like Bolduc get dealt away all that often.

Bolduc is off to a good start with the Canadiens, as he’s currently on pace for 23 goals and 35 points while playing a middle-six/third-line role. But it’s been tough sledding for Mailloux, who has no points in nine games with the Blues, and his impacts are concerning.

It is early in the 2025-26 season, so you’re going to get some quirky advanced stats until you get about 20-25 games in, but Mailloux’s numbers aren’t pretty. He has an expected GAR (xGAR) of minus-2.6 and a GAR of minus-3.7, which are the second-worst and worst rates among Blue skaters.

GAR and xGAR need more than 10-15 games to stabilize, but even Mailloux’s expected goals rates are worrisome. His expected goals share (xG%) of 42.36 percent is the third-worst among Blue skaters; only Alexandre Texier and Oskar Sundqvist have been worse.

The Blues have also been outscored 13-1 with Mailloux on the ice, but it’d be unfair to put the blame solely on him for that. Blues’ goaltenders haven’t been able to stop a beach ball this season. Still, Mailloux has struggled, and it’s hard to argue otherwise. That’s not to say he won’t pan out in the long run. He’s 22 and still developing, but that makes the trade all the more curious.

More often than not, the Blues are in win-now mode, so why trade Bolduc, who’s already proven he can play in the NHL, for someone with minimal NHL experience and who isn’t a guarantee to contribute in the short term? Bolduc could be their second-line center, and he’d likely be an upgrade over what they’re getting from the position so far.

Blues Should Have Traded Schenn Instead

It’s easy to look back on the offseason and say the Blues should have done this or done that. Ironically, Suter is the team’s leading scorer, with five goals and nine points in 15 games. That probably says more about the team’s struggles than anything else, but he’s played well. So has Bjugstad, who has four goals in 15 games.

They haven’t been the problem. Instead, it’s been their top-six centers who have been struggling. Robert Thomas has eight points in 11 games, a bit of a slow start for him by his standards, but it’s Brayden Schenn who hasn’t been producing at the level you need from a second-line center.

Schenn has only six points in 15 games, and his underlying metrics have been poor, to say the least. He has an xGAR of minus-2.1 and a GAR of minus-1.6. Team save percentage will affect that metric to an extent, but he has been declining for a couple of years. He finished last season with an xGAR of minus-2.1, and the footspeed isn’t what it used to be.

Schenn is the Blues’ captain, so it’s not as simple as saying “hey, just trade that player.” But his name was in the rumor mill around last season’s trade deadline. He appeared on Nick Kypreos’ trade board for Sportsnet a week before the deadline, and teams like the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly interested in the veteran center.

Armstrong has made bold moves before, so trading the team’s captain is probably something he’d entertain. It appears it’s something he may be considering again since the Blues are 5-8-2 and looking to shake things up. Frank Seravalli reported earlier this week to keep an eye on Schenn, as his no-trade clause shifted from a full NTC to 15 teams over the summer.

Perhaps Armstrong regrets it now, but he should have dealt Schenn either at last season’s trade deadline or during the offseason so they could have retained Bolduc. Both players are at different points in their careers. Schenn is on the back nine, while Bolduc is just getting started and has a bright future ahead.

Trading Bolduc is not the sole reason the Blues are struggling to start the 2025-26 campaign, but they could use a young 22-year-old center with potential behind Thomas. Perhaps Mailloux pans out and becomes a top-four defender in time, but this was a curious trade at the time, and the early returns suggest it was right to be skeptical. With no long-term solution as a 2C for the time being, the Blues may regret this one for a long while.

Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey