Senators Recently Acquired Defenseman To Pursue KHL Contract

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 , ,
New York Islanders forward Samuel Bolduc celebrates goal during 2023 game.

Samuel Bolduc's path to a new contract just got a little trickier, and his camp is already looking at alternatives.

Winners Agency announced via their Telegram page that they are now representing the 25-year-old defenseman and are pursuing a KHL contract for next season.

Bolduc came to Ottawa at the trade deadline when the Senators sent forward Jan Jenik to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for the blueliner.

Because of the timing of the swap, Bolduc was ineligible to be recalled to the NHL despite a lengthy injury list on Ottawa's back end.

He instead logged an increased role with AHL Belleville, posting one goal and 10 points in 12 games after putting up 21 points in 56 games with AHL Ontario earlier in the year.

It was the first time in four seasons that Bolduc did not appear in an NHL game.

Over parts of three seasons with the Islanders, he played 52 big league games, recording four goals and eight points with an even plus/minus rating, 56 blocks and 70 hits in 13:25 of average ice time per night.

He was non-tendered by New York last summer to avoid arbitration eligibility and signed a one-year two-way deal with Los Angeles shortly after.

Why the KHL Route Makes Sense

The core issue heading into free agency is veteran status.

Bolduc has now crossed the 320-game threshold between the NHL and AHL, which qualifies him for veteran status in the AHL next season.

Lineup spots for veteran players are capped at six per team, making it harder to secure a two-way deal in North America regardless of how productive a player has been.

Knowing that reality, Bolduc's camp has opted to get ahead of it rather than risk going unsigned or settling for unfavorable terms in July.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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