Bolduc to be paid soon, Xhekaj to be traded soon?

NHL hockey is just around the corner, and the regulars are starting to come back.

BPM Sports was actually on the air with its regular programming today. It's coming soon to RDS and TVA Sports, too.

Eric Engels, who took several weeks of vacation over the summer, has been back on the air for a few hours now. He also wrote an interesting piece on Sportsnet.ca, in which he analyzes the respective contract situations of Zachary Bolduc and Arber Xhekaj. Keep in mind that both players are still restricted free agents (RFAs) and are therefore without contracts, two weeks before the start of training camp.

According to Engels, Bolduc's and Xhekaj's situations differ from one another.

Bolduc is expected to sign a contract before the start of training camp, according to the Sportsnet reporter. We've been hearing this since the beginning of the summer, but negotiations are reportedly going well, according to Engels (which, incidentally, aligns with what Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports). The talk is of a three-year contract, give or take a season.

“I'd be surprised if it isn't settled by September 16 […] a three-year contract with an annual salary of around $4 million would make sense.” – Eric Engels on Zachary Bolduc

According to Engels, it won't be a one-year or an eight-season contract.

And a four-year contract would lead Bolduc toward full free agency. So personally, I'm betting on two or three years.

It remains to be seen where Martin St-Louis sees Zachary Bolduc fitting into his lineup. We'll find out soon enough.

On the other hand, Arber Xhekaj's contract could take a little longer, according to Engels.

“I think Arber Xhekaj is concerned about his role—whether he'll get regular ice time or not—before he's willing to sign his next contract.” – Eric Engels on Arber Xhekaj

Xhekaj didn't play a single game against the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals, and his average ice time dropped from nearly 16 minutes (in the regular season) to just over 11 between 2022 and 2026.

And he warmed the bench more often than not in the third period when the score was close last year.

It's understandable that he'd want a well-defined role of his own before signing a new contract. He probably isn't thrilled about being the fifth left-handed defenseman and regularly spending time in the Bell Centre's press box. Especially since his teammates love having him in the lineup.

Xhekaj is popular, and trading him would have negative repercussions among the team's fans.

The Sheriff wants more certainty. He didn't want to go to arbitration and then have to sign a one-year contract with huge doubts still hanging over his actual role on the team.

However, I don't think Martin St-Louis has any real, regular responsibilities to assign to Xhekaj.

Unfortunately, it looks like everything is pointing toward an inevitable split between the Habs and #72. Let's hope I'm wrong…