Why did Hughes not sign Bolduc and Xhekaj before they reached RFA status? Well, simply because, unlike players like Leo Carlsson, they’re not prime candidates for unmatchable offer sheets. With all due respect to the Canadiens’ duo, their body of work so far in the league doesn’t warrant that kind of offer sheet, which explains why Hughes is not exactly in a rush to sign them. Last season, Jayden Struble was signed only on July 30, after filing for arbitration, which set a deadline for negotiations, as the two sides had until the start of the arbitration process to reach an agreement before matters were taken out of their hands. Xhekaj didn’t file for arbitration, and Bolduc wasn’t eligible, so there’s no set deadline for those signings.
