'I have no doubt that the Blues wanted to give Jordan Kyrou more than Zachary Bolduc.'

They believe that the Habs didn’t take Zachary Bolduc after trying to acquire Kyrou, but rather the opposite, and Montreal instead demanded Bolduc in return for Logan Mailloux.

That makes a lot of sense.

At 22, Bolduc is an improving athlete who has just played his first full season with 36 points, including 19 goals, in 72 games.

He has scored 13 goals in his last 24 regular-season games.

He’s the perfect age to develop with our core group of players who should be contenders for top honours in a few years’ time

What’s more, the Québécois brings a physical dimension that the Canadiens need, and he’s in the final year of his three-year, $2.59 million entry-level contract ($863,334 per year).

His next contract will probably be a 3-4 year transition contract, which should be easier for the Habs to manage.

Kyrou, for his part, will complete the third of an eight-year contract worth $65 million ($8.125 million per year).

And after scoring 75 points in 74 games in the 2021-22 season, the forward has seen a slight decline, with 73, 67 and 70 points respectively in the last three campaigns.

Without being dramatic, if this slump continues, his contract could quickly age badly and hurt the Habs.

At 27, Kyrou represents a bigger risk than Bolduc, and could already be on the decline by the time the Habs’ window of opportunity opens.

What’s more, as McCagg points out, Kyrou’s production is similar to that of another 27-year-old, Patrick Laine, but so are his defensive problems.

And one wonders if the Canadiens really need a second Laine in their line-up?

Overtime

-What do you think?

– Good news for the Alouettes.

– What a catch!

– The kickosaurus!