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Martin St-Louis sends clear message by demoting Zachary Bolduc from Canadiens' top line
Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL
On Sunday, Martin St-Louis shook up his first line in the middle of the game.
The Canadiens salvaged a point but still let the win slip away: a 5-4 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning after a completely wild night.
In that context, every detail matters, especially with a tight standings race. And on Sunday, the story of the game wasn't just the comeback. It was Martin St-Louis' bench, which decided this couldn't wait any further.
For quite some time now, we've seen Zachary Bolduc get looks alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Then, in the third period, St-Louis gave Alexandre Texier a try on that line. When your name comes off the first line, you quickly understand the message.
Martin St-Louis sent a clear message to Zachary Bolduc
Bolduc, 22, now has 17 points in 38 games this season, with a minus-5 rating. His contract carries a cap hit of $863,334, and he's coming to the end of his deal. That's not insignificant, because minutes with Suzuki and Caufield can change a season.
Texier, 26, has 6 points in 16 games with the Canadiens, and his contract is one year at $1 million. He didn't come here just to fill a spot, especially if a seat opens up on a line that can score.
The Suzuki-Caufield duo, meanwhile, continues to fill up the scoresheet. Suzuki has 42 points in 38 games and carries a cap hit of $7.875 million. Caufield has 37 points in 38 games, with a cap hit of $7.85 million. When those two are rolling, the winger who completes the line doesn't get to hide.
In the end, St-Louis followed through on his message and demoted Zachary Bolduc for tonight's game against the Panthers, replacing him with Alexandre Texier alongside Suzuki and Caufield, while keeping the Slafkovsky-Demidov-Kapanen trio intact.
St-Louis has drawn a clear line. Ice time with Suzuki and Caufield is a responsibility, not a guarantee, and recent decisions show that no spot is locked in. For Bolduc, the path back is simple in theory-but demanding in practice: produce, or watch someone else take the minutes.