Islanders sign defenseman Samuel Bolduc to two-year contract

Bolduc most recently played for the Islanders American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, where he notched 10 goals and 35 points in 56 games. He led all Islanders’ defensemen in goals and was second in points on the team behind Dennis Cholowski.

The Laval, Quebec product made his NHL debut last season with the Islanders, appearing in 17 games and registering two goals and an assist. Bolduc scored his first NHL goal by beating Seattle Kraken goaltender Martin Jones with a clean wrist shot from the point. He also appeared in two Stanley Cup Playoffs games during the Islanders’ first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Bolduc has appeared in 137 games with Bridgeport, totalling 18 goals and 38 assists. He was selected to the 2020-21 AHL Atlantic-Division All-Star Team.

Before his pro career, he spent four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and tallied 22 goals and 62 assists for 94 points in 189 games. During the 2017-18 QMJHL Playoffs, Bolduc helped the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada go on a miraculous 20-game run to the QMJHL Final. He notched seven points during that run. During the 2019-20 season, Bolduc put up career-high numbers across the board, registering 43 points, which included 19 power play points in 61 games.