3 players who may find full-time roles with the St. Louis Blues next season

Zachary Bolduc will be a prime candidate should he keep progressing

Like Zach Dean, Zachary Bolduc was sensational during his last QMJHL season, scoring 110 points and 50 goals in 2022-23, plus another 19 points and 11 goals in 18 postseason contests. Bolduc also showed he could make the successful jump from the junior hockey level to the AHL, recording 23 points and eight goals in 48 contests.

Bolduc hasn’t been as effective of a scorer throughout his small sample size, with just two points and a goal in 11 contests. Note, however, that Bolduc has only logged an average time on ice of 10:35, so it’s not like he’s receiving top-six minutes. He has also shown his efficacy in the defensive zone, logging four blocks, four takeaways, and finishing seven checks, but that’s just the beginning. 

Bolduc’s on-ice save percentage at 5-on-5 is a stellar 92.2 percent, so the 21-year-old has brought value, and it won’t be long until the former 17th-overall pick sees the ice more. If Bolduc gets hot during the last month of the season, he will be the front-running forward prospect in the system to earn a full-time role in St. Louis next year.