The Montreal Canadiens might have fired Claude Julien in 2021, but the former bench boss had a significant impact on one current Hab last year. After taking some time off, once he was let go by the Sainte-Flanelle, Julien accepted an assistant coach role with the St. Louis Blues, and that’s where he got to work with Zack Bolduc.
According to RDS’s report, the assistant coach met with Bolduc every two or three games to conduct video sessions and explain how he could improve his play. The Trois-Rivieres native and former first-round pick at the 2021 draft enjoyed working with the experienced coach:
I had the opportunity to work with Claude a lot last season. On things I focused on last year that made me a more defensively sound player. I loved working with Claude. He’s been in hockey for so long, and he knows what it takes.
– Bolduc on Claude Julien
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Bolduc wasn’t a defensive specialist in Missouri, though; he made a tangible impact on the Blues’ power play, and the Canadiens definitely took notes on that. On Sunday, in Brossard, judging by the power play units formed in Group A, it seems likely that in Group B, Bolduc will get an opportunity to play on a power play unit that will include Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson.
Does that mean it will be the same once the puck drops on the regular season? Not necessarily. Looking at the Groups on the ice in Brossard on Sunday, it’s clear that Martin St-Louis has made a point to create two balanced groups with the same number of NHL players. That split was done with even-strength lines in mind, since those are the trios that will be used most often.
We’ll see as the preseason progresses and cuts are made how the groups evolve, but even if his spot with the top line on the man-advantage may not be meant to be permanent, he has a chance to impress and show what he can do in that company.
In St. Louis, he played in the slot on the power play with talented players like Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, and it paid off.. 12 of his 36 points were scored on the power play, including seven goals. That’s definitely worth looking into for the Canadiens, and the preseason is the right time to do it.
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