Canadiens Have Brendan Gallagher’s Successor in Zachary Bolduc

So, when Gallagher took his talents to the Vancouver Canucks, it left a distinct void in head coach Martin St. Louis’ middle six, and an even bigger one in the dressing room. The question is, who can replace what he brought to the franchise? Enter still unsigned restricted free agent (RFA) forward Zachary Bolduc.

While replacing Gallagher’s heart and soul is no easy task, injecting a high-energy engine like Bolduc into the middle six significantly improves the Canadiens’ odds of maintaining their relentless, hard-to-play-against identity. 

Acquired from the St. Louis Blues in July 2025 in return for Logan Mailloux, the 23-year-old Trois-Rivières native represents the exact kind of internal solution general manager (GM) Kent Hughes envisioned when reshaping his roster. He isn’t a carbon copy of Gallagher; few players are, but he possesses the physical DNA, competitive fire, and goal-scoring instincts to inherit that heavy-lifting, net-front role in Montreal.

Bolduc vs. Gallagher: Comparing the Blueprint

To understand how Bolduc fits the Gallagher mould, you first have to look at where their games diverge, and where they converge. There is no direct line in comparing the two. It is essentially old-fashioned blue-collar grit in Gallagher’s game versus Bolduc’s modern power winger style. 

While Gallagher relies on a compact 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame and sheer grinding effort to win board battles and manufacture goals from blue-paint jams, Bolduc brings a 6-foot, 187-pound build fueled by explosive downhill speed. Rather than constantly battling in the mud for second-chance rebounds like Gallagher, Bolduc drives the middle lane as a high-volume shooter with a heavy, quick-release wrist shot.

However, both players share a vital common ground: the ability to disrupt opposing goaltenders through sharp net-front screens and timely deflections. Gallagher made a living strictly in the mud. He was a sub-six-foot power forward who compensated for average skating with elite spatial awareness around the crease and an uncanny ability to convert second-chance pucks.

Bolduc, on the other hand, brings a more modern toolkit. At 6 feet, he possesses the length and downhill acceleration that Gallagher never had. He can beat defenders off the rush, drag pucks through traffic, and snap a heavy wrist shot past netminders from the high slot. Where they align is the mindset.

“What excites us most about him is his emergence as a physical power forward. He’s rounding out his game, he’s still getting better…We know he can score, we know his talent level…” 

– Canadiens’ VP of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton on Bolduc

Like Gallagher, Bolduc doesn’t fear the interior. He willingly goes to the hard areas of the ice, uses his body to establish net-front position, and operates with a relentless motor on the forecheck. If Gallagher was a wrecking ball in the blue paint, Bolduc is a high-octane cutter, equally effective at creating chaos, but with a touch more natural finishing ability from distance.

The Contract Situation: Strategic Flexibility

From a management perspective, Bolduc’s timeline aligns with Montreal’s competitive window as his entry-level deal expired this summer. Operating under a low-risk, high-reward cap hit, his potential new contract can deliver immediate surplus value for a middle-six forward capable of contributing at both ends of the ice. Having established himself as a reliable 30-to-40-point floor early in his career, and with his inconsistent season, he gives Hughes substantial leverage at the negotiating table.

The Canadiens front office is uniquely positioned to either secure him on a cost-controlled short-term “bridge” deal or lock him into a team-friendly multi-year extension. Ultimately, this contractual flexibility allows Montreal to maintain long-term cap efficiency while preserving a high-octane asset for their top-nine forward group. But there is some question as to whether he will be with the club long-term, though he is hopeful, as he discussed his future with TVA Sports, a local French-language media group.

“There are a few things that still need to be worked out over the next few weeks, but if everything goes as planned, we (Alex Carrier) should be teammates this year.” 

–Zachary Bolduc

For a team navigating cap allocation while keeping room to fund a supporting cast for its emerging core, having a player of Bolduc’s profile under team control is a massive asset. He offers top-nine production and high-octane energy without destroying the payroll structure.

Bolduc’s Playoff Emergence

If there were any lingering doubts about Bolduc’s ability to handle high-stakes hockey, his postseason track record offers a clear answer. During his junior days under Patrick Roy with the Québec Remparts, Bolduc proved he was built for the spring. He posted 19 points in 18 games during the 2023 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoffs before helping power Québec to a league title and eventually, a Memorial Cup championship.

Despite an up-and-down 2025-26 regular season that saw him struggle to find consistency in Montreal and, in turn, establish a role, his 1.69 points per 60 minutes ranked ninth among forwards. Yet he showed up when it mattered most. It was Bolduc’s physicality and his 1.94 points per 60 minutes in the playoffs, scoring seven points in 19 games, which actually ranked higher than even Demidov’s 1.11 points per 60 minutes, and landed him seventh on the team, showing he found his game in the postseason.

When the lights got bright, that game he flashed in junior translated. Bolduc’s playoff style is defined by positional discipline and functional grit. In the postseason, he dials back the perimeter play, simplifies his route-running, and drives straight to the blue paint. He plays with an active stick, finishes checks on opposing defensemen to wear down the breakout, and excels at taking away sightlines from goaltenders.

It’s precisely the brand of hockey St. Louis requires in a middle-six winger when time and space evaporate. Bolduc doesn’t just tolerate playoff hockey; he thrives in the friction just as Gallagher does. This is the style he will be relied on to play consistently during the regular season as well, especially if he wants to increase his hockey odds to cement himself as the next “Gally” for Montreal.

“Gally’s been in the league and with the Montreal Canadiens for so many years, so it’s fun to have him around. He’s been good, even if he hasn’t had the opportunity to play yet. He’s been talking a lot with us younger guys, telling us what he sees”

 – Zach Bolduc

Gallagher may have already set the table for Bolduc through his mentorship. Just like the franchise’s motto, taken from John McCrae’s poem In Flanders Fields, “To you from failing hands we throw the Torch, be yours to hold it high”, Gallagher’s mentorship represents a passing of the competitive flame. As his time with the franchise comes to an end, he leaves a chair for Bolduc to fill, with the sacred responsibility of carrying forward the team’s blue-collar work ethic and unrelenting standard.

No single player can step onto the ice and hope to replace Gallagher’s legacy overnight. The bruises, the leadership, and the decade and a half of culture are impossible to replicate instantly. But in Bolduc, the Canadiens have found a Quebec-born winger with the skill, frame, and relentless competitive drive to inherit the job description. If he continues to embrace the dirty work in front of the net, he won’t just replace Gallagher’s minutes; he’ll carve out his own chapter as the team’s next blue-collar catalyst.