More depth never hurts, especially when little to no risk is involved.
With Sammy Blais inking an AHL contract with the Abbotsford Canucks and getting a PTO invite from the Vancouver Canucks, it’s a sound, sharp move to shore up forward depth at the bottom of the lineup. There’s no guarantee that the Canucks will be inking Blais to an NHL deal – and that’s perfectly fine for the purposes which he will be auditioning for.
Offence is not the name of the game for Sammy Blais. A proven producer at the AHL level, he’s sure to bring firepower to Abbotsford. That probably won’t be the case if he makes any appearances for Vancouver, as aside from a 20-point run in 31 games with the St. Louis Blues in 2022-23, Blais has been unremarkable offensively.
But that isn’t what Blais would be brought in for. A persistent agitator, the 6’2″ 205 lb forward moves well and hits everything that moves. In 2022-23, Blais recorded 238 hits in 71 NHL contests. He was well on pace to surpass that mark in 2023-24, recording 194 hits in just 53 games. It’s the kind of tough-to-play-against style that Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet preaches and gives this team more physicality through the lineup.
Blais’ advanced stats results last year were slightly below average, but putting it in context with the rest of St. Louis makes it feel a bit better. His Corsi for percentage (CF%) of 44.29 was the sixth-best on the team amongst forwards with more than 50 GP. Blais had a relatively unlucky season when it came to expected goals and actual goals, producing 14.46 expected goals for (xGF) while only being on the ice for 10 goals for. On the defensive side, Blais faced 23.65 expected goals against (xGA) but was on the ice for only 21 goals against.
At 28 years old, Blais is pretty much what he is at this point. There’s no real room for the Canucks to ice him at anything more than the third line, and ideally, he’s a fourth-line fill-in guy. That’s not a bad thing at all, though. Blais fits the profile of a fourth-liner much better than the recently traded Vasily Podkolzin, and there’s no concern about stunting his development by sitting him in the press box. Sure, Blais is looking to cement himself as an everyday NHLer, but his ceiling and floor are pretty much set.
Having Blais inked to an AHL deal also eliminates the grey area that existed with Podkolzin: waivers. The forward is guaranteed to be playing in the minors, and it’s up to the Canucks to see if he’ll be inked to an NHL deal. That allows Vancouver to essentially have a larger sample size should they choose not to sign Blais off of the PTO. And if injuries hit, he’s a clear-cut call-up option with NHL experience, including a successful Stanley Cup run in 2019.
That kind of organizational flexibility is something that shouldn’t be underestimated. With how the injury bug bites the Canucks (knocking on wood), having Blais already signed to an AHL contract helps bring an added layer of security. He’s shown that he can at least eat minutes and games on a fill-in basis in the NHL, with a play style much more suited for where he would potentially slot in. Blais also makes Abbotsford all that much better, which, in turn, should create a more competitive atmosphere for Vancouver’s prospects to develop.
There’s not much to dislike about this signing. As it stands, Vancouver is not eating a contract spot, and they get a depth contributor in the organization that plays a style suited to the Canucks, who has shown that he can play in the NHL. It’s a tidy piece of business for the Canucks to get done ahead of training camp next month as Blais looks to convert the PTO into a contract.
