The New York Islanders have signed defenceman Samuel Bolduc to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal carries him through the 2022-23 season.
#Isles Transaction: Defenseman Samuel Bolduc has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract. https://t.co/6v8ek2mNd8
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 30, 2020
Samuel Bolduc Signs With the New York Islanders
The 19-year old, Laval, QC native has spent 4 seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Overall, Bolduc has amassed 22 goals and 72 assists for 94 career points in 189 QMJHL games. He was selected in the second round, 57th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2019 NHL Draft.
In 2019-20, Bolduc split his playing time between the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Sherbrooke Phoenix after a mid-season trade. He scored 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points, a single-season career-high, while also contributing on the man-advantage with 19 power-play points (three goals and 16 assists). He ranked eighth among defencemen in the QMJHL for point production.
When he arrived in the QMJHL, Bolduc was blessed with the opportunity to play on an experienced Blainville-Boisbriand Armada team. They went on to reach two consecutive Presidents Cup Finals between 2016-17 and 2017-18. However, in the aftermath of success, the team was forced into a rebuild. The veterans departed, leaving Bolduc as the ‘quarterback defenceman’ of the team.
Marc Andre Dumont, former coach of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL, said this about Bolduc: “A defender who plays well with his stick, well-positioned, who will seek efficiency”.
What This Means for the Future
The 6’4’’ 209-pound defenceman is an on-brand signing for the New York Islanders. Bolduc is a strong and capable athlete who has had to grow quickly into a leadership role. With further development in the AHL, Bolduc could end up in a third-pairing role on the Islanders before his ELC is up.
Islanders fans may be disappointed that the signing news today is not in relation to goaltending prospect, Ilya Sorokin. However, seeing their team’s name in print regarding a Barry Trotz defenceman of the future should bring excitement of hockey that is to come.
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