In the NHL Playoffs, depth scoring matters a whole lot more. The deepest teams will theoretically advance further than those who are ‘happy to be there.’ But what if the St. Louis Blues, currently in ‘happy to be there’ mode despite boasting a well-kept secret should they finish the season strong, are deeper than many think?
If that’s the case, then when the playoffs roll around, the Blues will go from ‘happy to be there’ to a sneaky pick to make a deeper-than-expected playoff run. They’re not hoisting the Stanley Cup, but a well-played matchup in the second round would leave fans more than optimistic for 2025-26.
One of those players is a rather new face to Arch City, even if he saw time in the regular season last year when he appeared in 25 contests and finished with five goals and nine points. But with a 13.2 shooting percentage in 2023-24, I didn’t rule out the possibility that Zack Bolduc could be more here in 2024-25. And to a degree, I was right.
St. Louis Blues forward Zack Bolduc has officially become a depth scorer
As I write this, Zack Bolduc has three goals in the past five games, and he played a key role in their recent win over the Colorado Avalanche when he scored his 16th on the season. Yep, 16 goals in his first full season with the Blues is a decent step forward, no doubt, and with a 15.4 shooting percentage coupled with 12:37 average time on ice, it’s safe to say Bolduc has grown into a player opponents must watch out for.
Overall, Bolduc has 31 points on the season, with eight of them and four goals coming on the power play. This makes him a multi-dimensional player, but when you add in 97 hits, he brings a physical edge to his play. No, he’s nowhere near the best skater on the ice and probably never will be, but a good, solid puzzle piece like Bolduc is what rounds out championship-caliber teams.
Looking at Bolduc’s even strength numbers, you get more insight into why he’s so effective. Throw in a 51.5 Corsi For percentage, a 12.1 on-ice shooting percentage, plus an incredible 92.6 on-ice save percentage, and it gives you all you need to know for why Bolduc has transformed into one of the Blues more important players as the season ticks on.
Give the Blues a few more Zack Bolducs and watch the team thrive
One Zack Bolduc is a good start, and supplementary players like Alexey Toropchenko, Nate Walker, and Mathieu Joseph are also decent. But if you loaded those lower lines with players who approach the game with the same tenacity as Bolduc, players who can pack a punch every time they skate out for a shift, the Blues will add to their Stanley Cup total.
If general manager Doug Armstrong keeps playing his cards right, a deep playoff run is more than likely in 2026, with true contention for the Stanley Cup as the bare minimum for a successful 2026-27 campaign.
But if Bolduc’s made something clear throughout his first full season in Gateway City, it’s that he’s set a true standard. Anything below his level of play as Armstrong adds talent to the middle and bottom six over the next two seasons isn’t acceptable. So for Armstrong’s sake, may he look for talent seeking to mirror the kind of game Bolduc has brought.