The Montreal Canadiens are in an odd predicament ahead of their regular season.
Their roster is overflowing with forwards, which isn’t usually the case for this franchise.
Zachary Bolduc — one of the many forwards battling it out for a spot in the lineup — opened up about how uneasy their positioning feels.
Canadiens’ Bolduc Doesn’t Mince Words Regarding Crowded Roster
According to Arpon Basu of The Athletic, 23-year-old Bolduc recently discussed Montreal’s dilemma at forward.
“No one’s comfortable,” he said. “It pushes everyone to get out of their comfort zone, to get the best out of themselves night after night, day after day. Adding Kreids is a big add for us; he brings an enormous amount of experience and he’s a good skater, so he brings speed. We’re very happy to have him with us, and those are decisions the coaching staff will need to take.”
Bringing 35-year-old left winger Chris Kreider into the mix inevitably provides great depth, but it does put other players’ opportunities in jeopardy.
As noted by Basu, the three forwards facing the most pressure are Bolduc, Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier.
During Bolduc’s 2025-26 campaign, he skated in 78 games and scored 12 goals with 18 assists for 30 points. This marked his third season playing in the NHL.
However, it was only his first season in a Canadiens sweater.
The 23-year-old right winger was selected 17th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft. He spent two years with the franchise.
But in July 2025, the Blues traded him to Montreal in exchange for Logan Mailloux.
He then signed a four-year deal with the Canadiens in September of this year.
Montreal currently had 14 forwards on its roster. Bolduc is only one in a crowd.
Snapshot of Where the Canadiens Are Heading
Montreal’s regular-season opener is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. ET against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The clash will be held at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Following this meeting, the Canadiens will hit the road and head to PPG Paints Arena to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. ET.
It would be rather surprising if Montreal doesn’t make a deep run in the postseason this year, but their success will heavily rely on the health of their lineup as the season progresses.
With well-respected head coach Martin St. Louis having signed a multi-year contract extension on Sept. 14, the Canadiens will enter their 2026-27 campaign with confidence and stability.
Montreal has been putting in the work to cement themselves in contention early on, but only time will tell how the season will shake out.
Canadiens’ Zachary Bolduc on Crowded Roster: “No One’s Comfortable”