Maple Leafs Shocked as Canadiens Snatch Sammy Blais in Dramatic Waiver Move—What’s Next?

Sammy Blais is making a swift return journey to the Montreal Canadiens after a fleeting appearance with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The recent waiver move by Toronto signaled a quick turnaround, with Blais being snapped up by the Canadiens just a day after his release. It’s a classic shuffle in the NHL world, where roster dynamics and strategic plays often lead to such rapid developments. Toronto’s initial acquisition of Blais in early October, a move underscored by coach Craig Berube’s familiarity with the forward’s style from their championship days together in St. Louis, seemed promising. Yet, with injuries healing and the Leafs’ lineup strength improving, tough decisions had to be made — and Blais found himself waived once again. This shift not only impacts team depth but also opens the door for Montreal to either integrate Blais back into their NHL roster or assign him to AHL Laval, given their roster flexibility. The 265-game veteran carries a steady record, blending experience with a touch of grit that Montreal will surely evaluate keenly as the season progresses. LEARN MORE

Sammy Blais is headed back to the Montreal Canadiens after a brief stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The forward was placed on waivers by Toronto on Wednesday afternoon and, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston, was claimed by the Canadiens 24 hours later.

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Toronto initially picked up Blais off waivers on Oct. 6, via the Canadiens, who tried to get him through waivers to send him to the AHL. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has familiarity with the forward, going back to their days with the St. Louis Blues, when they won the Stanley Cup.

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Blais played eight games with the Maple Leafs, scoring one goal and two assists. He played a bottom-six role for Toronto and Berube, averaging 8:17 of ice time through his entire tenure.

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The Maple Leafs recouped a couple of their injured players on Wednesday, including Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, and Nicolas Roy. They needed to make a few roster moves to activate all three players, and waiving Blais was one of them.

Toronto also sent Jacob Quillan back to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies after he played two NHL games.

The Maple Leafs are also dealing with a couple of injuries to their defensemen and Anthony Stolarz. Chris Tanev remains out long-term with an upper-body injury after going off on a stretcher in their game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1.

Brandon Carlo (lower body) skated with teammates for the first time in practice on Thursday in Washington, one day ahead of Toronto’s matchup against the Capitals. Carlo has been out since Nov. 13 versus the Los Angeles Kings.

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Stolarz hasn’t been seen since leaving after one period with an upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11. The hope one week ago was that Stolarz would skate last Friday, however, that didn’t happen.

It’s unknown if he’s been on the ice since Toronto left for a five-game road trip on Tuesday afternoon.

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Blais being claimed by the Canadiens means Montreal can now send him straight to AHL Laval, since they were the ones who first placed the forward on waivers at the beginning of the season. However, the Canadiens do have a roster spot open for Blais if they choose to keep him in the NHL.

In 265 NHL games, with the Blues, Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers, Blais has scored 28 goals and 74 points.

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