Canadiens’ Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc still unsigned as August deepens, fueling sign-and-trade speculation

As the August calendar moves toward the NHL’s September roster deadline, speculation is again circling the Montreal Canadiens’ restricted free-agent situation. A Yahoo Sports report points to the idea that Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc could be candidates for sign-and-trade arrangements, a concept that can matter when unsigned RFAs become bargaining leverage, or when a team wants to change the distribution of assets rather than simply settle a contract in-house.

The premise begins with a straightforward detail: the Canadiens are still dealing with two restricted free agents, and one Canadiens beat writer, Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette, suggested that their lack of a signed agreement by this point could make them more realistic options for sign-and-trade discussions. Cowan’s reasoning, as relayed by the report, ties the timing pressure of August to the probability of an RFA contract resolution before September 16.

Sign-and-trade deals, when they happen, typically allow a player to agree to a contract structure while their rights are used to facilitate a trade that can benefit both clubs in different ways. For Montreal, the strategic question is why that route would become more attractive than a straightforward signing. For the player, it can be a way to move to an organization that better fits a path to ice time or role definition. The report does not provide confirmation that any such deal is imminent, but it underscores how August unsigned status can become its own kind of report.

Beyond the framework, the most relevant part for Canadiens fans is what the team’s offseason posture has to accomplish before the new season begins. Even without discussing outcomes as facts, the logic here is that RFAs left unsigned longer can change the internal options a club has. If Montreal wants to preserve flexibility, a sign-and-trade can be a tool to convert contract uncertainty into tangible trade value, rather than waiting through late summer and into training camp with fewer ways to act.

Montreal’s situation is particularly notable because Xhekaj and Bolduc are both tied to the restricted free-agent category. That classification generally keeps negotiations focused on restricted rights and timelines, which in turn makes the approach to the September 16 mark more consequential. The report’s central question is whether that combination of “still unsigned” plus “still within the window” increases the likelihood of a sign-and-trade route.

What to watch next is whether the Canadiens’ offseason announcements change from general negotiating posture to concrete contract resolutions or trade-related activity that implies a sign-and-trade structure. In late August, the most telling developments are not statements about possibility, but movement on whether RFAs are formally signed, whether talks broaden into trade channels, or whether either player’s status changes in ways that reduce the uncertainty around their next contract.

For now, this is best understood as roster-construction speculation grounded in timing. There is no indication in the report that an agreement is already finalized, only that Xhekaj and Bolduc, as unsigned RFAs with Montreal approaching mid-September, could be realistic names in sign-and-trade conversations. If no progress is made by the deadline cited in the report, it would naturally raise new questions about how Montreal plans to finalize its forward and defense depth without losing leverage.

The Canadiens’ broader offseason picture will determine how much weight fans should put on the sign-and-trade idea. If Montreal’s internal priorities shift toward acquiring additional assets or reshaping its role distribution, sign-and-trade becomes more than a theoretical option. If the priority remains continuity and contract resolution, then the same unsigned status could end simply with the players signing before the window closes. Until Montreal or the players’ representatives confirm anything, this remains a timing-based scenario rather than a reported transaction.