The writing was on the wall that Sammy Blais would move on from his second stint with the St. Louis Blues.
The 2019 Stanley Cup winner, who scored his first NHL goal in Game 6 — an elimination game — of the Western Conference second round against the Dallas Stars that iced a 4-1 Blues win to send it to a Game 7, has signed a contract with Abbotsford of the American Hockey League and has been invited to main training camp with the Vancouver Canucks on a professional tryout.
The Canucks made the announcement on Thursday morning.
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that F Sammy Blais has signed a contract with Abbotsford (AHL) and has also been invited to Vancouver Canucks training camp (PTO). pic.twitter.com/AyYXvYYClC
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) August 22, 2024
The 28-year-old, who was in his second tour of duty with the Blues after being re-acquired from the New York Rangers Feb. 9, 2023 from the New York Rangers when the Blues sent Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to New York, was coming off a one-year, $1 million contract after a successful finish to the 2022-23 season with the Blues in which he had 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) in 31 games.
But Blais struggled last season and was in and out of the lineup, finishing with just a goal and six assists in 53 games.
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The sixth round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft really came into his own when he became more of a physical, checking player, one in which former coach Craig Berube got the best out of and used him often after he was inserted into the lineup in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But Blais was traded to the Rangers on July 23, 2021 that netted the Blues Pavel Buchnevich.
Blais only played 14 games in the 2021-22 season in New York after suffering an ACL injury and played in 40 games the following season (five assists) before being traded back to St. Louis.
Blais couldn’t stay in coach Drew Bannister’s lineup on a regular basis, and with the re-signing of Kasperi Kapanen, the addition of Radek Faksa and Mathieu Joseph and recent acquisition of Dylan Holloway, there wasn’t any inclination the Blues would be bringing Blais back and now he will have to reestablish himself to try and make an NHL roster elsewhere.
But Blais, who spent his first four seasons with the Blues, will always be a fan favorite as being part of the Stanley Cup championship team.
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