The Bell Centre was alive with tension, every inch of ice reflecting the glare of thousands of hungry eyes. In the second period, linesman Ryan Daisy leaned in, exchanging sharp words with Montreal Canadiens forward Zack Bolduc, whose jersey was already creased with frustration. Bolduc’s skates cut restless patterns across the rink, his face a mask of unspoken questions. Just days earlier, he’d found himself demoted to the fourth line and glued to the bench for an entire third period—now, he was fighting not just for the puck, but for his place in a league where whispers can change everything overnight.

Across the continent, the hockey world was about to be blindsided. The latest shock didn’t come from Montreal’s press corps or a late-night leak at the Bell Centre—it erupted from Vancouver, where Rick Dhaliwal, the city’s most trusted Canucks insider, dropped a rumor that sent shockwaves through both fanbases. Zachary Bolduc, the young forward whose ice time had mysteriously vanished, was suddenly being linked to trade talks with the Vancouver Canucks. For a player who’d barely seen seven minutes of action the night before, the news felt surreal, almost cinematic—a plot twist no one saw coming.

The intrigue deepened with every new report. Bolduc’s name was being whispered in the same breath as Kiefer Sherwood, the Canucks’ hard-hitting winger whose playoff-style grit has made him a coveted asset. Sherwood, undrafted but relentless, was on pace for a career year and earning a modest $1.5 million—a tantalizing target for any team looking to add muscle and edge before the postseason. Could Kent Hughes, Montreal’s calculating general manager, be eyeing a move that would send Bolduc west for Sherwood, or perhaps even a piece of Vancouver’s goaltending depth? The possibilities were dizzying, and the stakes unmistakably high.

Donnie and Dhali, Vancouver’s leading voices in trade speculation, fanned the flames further. “The Canucks scouted the Montreal/Ottawa game, could they be trying to get a young player like Zach Bolduc?” they mused, hinting at a larger chess match that might involve more than just one-for-one swaps. Minnesota was reportedly in the mix for Sherwood, but Montreal’s interest seemed to be growing by the hour. Was this simply a reaction to Bolduc’s recent benching, or did Hughes see an opportunity to reshape his roster with a bold, unexpected move?

For Canadiens fans, the rumor was both thrilling and unsettling. Bolduc, still just 21, had shown flashes of promise but now faced the possibility of being traded before his NHL story had truly begun. Would moving him so soon be a mistake—a lost chance to develop a homegrown talent? Or was this the kind of decisive action that could jumpstart Montreal’s playoff push and add the kind of grit the team has been missing?

As the hours ticked by and speculation mounted, one thing was certain: the next chapter in Montreal’s season was being written not in goals or saves, but in the whispered negotiations between two front offices. The fate of Zachary Bolduc—and perhaps the future of the Canadiens—hung in the balance, waiting for the moment when a rumor becomes reality.

Nov 22, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; linesman Ryan Daisy (81) exchanges words with Montreal Canadiens forward Zack Bolduc (76) during the second period of the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

A completely unexpected rumor has just surfaced, not from Montreal, but from Vancouver.

Rick Dhaliwal, the most reputable insider covering the Vancouver Canucks, has just shared some very surprising information.

According to him, forward Zachary Bolduc – who was recently demoted to the fourth line, benched for the entire third period against the Ottawa Senators, and played barely seven minutes last night – could already be in trade discussions.

Wow.

Zachary Bolduc’s name is now linked to the Vancouver Canucks

This will be a major storyline to watch in the coming days and weeks, but I can’t help but wonder what Kent Hughes might be targeting in return.

While a star like Quinn Hughes is unrealistic, Bolduc could still be part of a larger deal, potentially involving another forward.

Is Kent Hughes aiming at one of the Canucks’ goaltenders?

Could it be for Kiefer Sherwood?

“The Canucks scouted the Montreal/Ottawa game, could they be trying to get a young player like Zach Bolduc?”

– Donnie and Dhali on the continued trade interest in Canucks Forward Kiefer Sherwood.

Would trading Zachary Bolduc this early be a mistake? The situation is worth watching closely.

“Dhali mentions Minnesota and Montreal as the 2 teams showing the most interest in Sherwood.”

Mentions Zach Bolduc as someone the Canucks could be looking at”

Sherwood, 30, is a 6-foot, 194-pound winger – a true playoff-style hard hitting winger – who was never drafted and has over 100 career points in fewer than 300 NHL games.

Last season, he recorded 40 points (19 goals and 21 assists) in 78 regular-season games, and he’s on pace to have an even better season again this year.

Sherwood earns a very reasonable $1.5 million dollars per year and will be an unrestricted free agent this July.