Geoff Molson says Canadiens are pushing to keep restricted free agents Arber Xhekaj and Zach Bolduc

Montreal Canadiens president and chief operating officer Geoff Molson said the club is working hard to keep two of its remaining restricted free agents in the organization, pointing to Arber Xhekaj and Zach Bolduc as players he believes matter to the team’s near-term identity. Molson’s comments came during a Radio-Canada Sports interview that touched on multiple topics, including the state of the Canadiens’ roster and the status of unsigned contract negotiations. In that discussion, Molson framed Xhekaj and Bolduc as important pieces that the Canadiens want to retain, a message that indicates the franchise views both players as part of its build rather than temporary roster options.

In the NHL, restricted free agency is a defined leverage point for clubs. RFAs keep their team’s rights and typically require a signing agreement to resolve. That means, even when players are available to negotiate elsewhere, the club’s goal is often to reach a contract that keeps the player in-house while preserving roster flexibility. Molson’s emphasis suggests Montreal is treating these negotiations as a priority, not a passive waiting process.

Xhekaj is a known element of Montreal’s modern mix, and Bolduc represents a different thread of the Canadiens’ development picture as a younger forward prospect. While Molson did not lay out specific contract terms in the Yahoo Sports summary, his framing matters because it points to how the Canadiens view their internal pipeline. For a team that has leaned on youth and coaching development, retaining RFAs is frequently the bridge between promise and stability.

The Canadiens’ decision-making here also carries downstream roster implications. If one or both RFAs were to be resolved in a way that moved them off the active negotiation track, Montreal would need to adjust its forward and defensive depth plans accordingly. Conversely, successful re-signings allow the Canadiens to preserve continuity in roles, which can affect line combinations, defensive matchups, and special-teams deployment as the new season approaches.

Molson’s comments also fit a common theme in Canadiens management messaging: a preference for building with players who understand the organization’s style and standards. In that sense, the statement is less about a single contract detail and more about the club’s broader stance on who it wants wearing the Canadiens sweater moving forward.

For fans and roster watchers, the next thing to watch is how the Canadiens resolve the two RFA situations. The key will be whether Montreal can bring both Xhekaj and Bolduc to agreements that satisfy the team’s valuation and the players’ expectations, and whether either negotiation creates ripple effects for other roster plans. Until a deal becomes official, details remain limited to the Canadiens’ stated intent to keep both players.

Molson’s interview also underscores that Montreal’s offseason work is not only about acquiring new talent, but about holding onto specific internal options. As the Canadiens manage the balance between development, performance, and cap-related constraints, Xhekaj and Bolduc represent a focal point in that process, and Molson’s words make clear the organization is attempting to close that chapter with them staying in Montreal.