Grading Sam Bolduc’s 22-23 Season 

Grading Sam Bolduc’s 2022-23 Season 

By Ryan Maher 

Sam Bolduc Grade: B+

Sam Bolduc was drafted 57th overall in 2019, in an injury plagued 2021-22 AHL season, there were questions surrounding what the Islanders had in a once-hopeful top four defenseman. 

With injuries decimating the Islanders blue line, Bolduc made his NHL debut on January 23rd in Toronto. 

Through his first four games Bolduc was held without a point but showed a steady defensive play recording a +2.  

In his 5th NHL game, Bolduc’s left point wrist shot beat Martin Jones for his first career goal. 

To sum the season, Bolduc recorded two goals and an assist through 17 regular season games. He was a +5. 

Bolduc played in Games 1 and 2 in Carolina before being replaced by Alexander Romanov fresh off the IR. His defensive zone play was quite questionable at times while he was booked for two penalties in Game 2. He only played 5:08 that night. 

With a log jam on the left side of the defensive ice, it is tough to say where Bolduc’s career goes from here. 

He has the tools to be an efficient two-way, 2nd pair defenseman but will need to improve in his own end and managing pressure. Sam had 12 defensive zone giveaways in 17 regular season games. No bueno. 

In the o-zone, Bolduc’s wrist shot as advertised was fantastic and should only improve. 69.2% of Sam’s shot attempts made it on goal. For reference, Erik Karlsson who scored 25 goals as a blueliner and will win the Norris had 72.8% of his shots reach the target.  

A small stat but a telling one as Bolduc generated offense from the point as a 22-year-old. 

We shall see what the future holds for Bolduc, a positive rookie campaign with some youthful errors in between. There is no way to really predict where things will go from here. He could very well be dealt this summer in a package deal due to the surplus of left-handed D or could be the 3rd pair LHD in 2023-24? 

Only time will tell.