Samuel Blais Signals NHL Exit After 5-Point Canadiens Season

Samuel Blais said at his end-of-season review that he wants the chance to play in the NHL, and if that is not with Montreal, it will be elsewhere. The 29-year-old Quebec forward finished the season with five points in 13 games for the Canadiens after being placed on waivers twice.

Montreal’s forward depth

The first waiver move ended with the Toronto Maple Leafs claiming him. The second did not bring a claim, leaving Blais back with Montreal for the stretch run and putting his future back in play. His remarks pointed directly at the next step: he wants an NHL role, and he is not limiting that to one organization.

Kent Hughes has built a forward group with a lot of depth, and that has made room harder to find for players on the third and fourth lines who are not already established in the rotation. Blais did not get consistent NHL runway this season, and his five points in 13 games reflect that limited usage more than any long-term role in the lineup.

Waivers and July 1

The contract Blais signed last summer was modest, and the article says he could become a free agent on July 1. If no NHL team gives him that opportunity, the Rocket de Laval could take him back for another season. That leaves him in a familiar position: trying to turn a short Montreal stint into a clearer path somewhere else.

“j'ai l'opportunité de jouer dans la LNH, et si c'est pas à Montréal, ce sera ailleurs,” Blais said during his review. For Montreal, the comment fits a season in which depth pushed him to the margins; for Blais, it puts his next move on the open market if another club steps in first.