Canadiens forward suggests he may not return to Montreal after playoff run
Samuel Blais may have just told Pascal Vincent and the Canadiens he's looking beyond Montreal.
The forward didn't dance around it during his end-of-season media availability.
His message was simple: he wants an NHL job next season, and he's open to chasing it somewhere else outside of Montreal.
That matters because Blais isn't talking like a player ready to settle for another year in the AHL.
He sounded like a player drawing a line and making it clear that his next contract has to bring a real path upward.
His words said plenty. If his future is in Laval, he'll stay. If the opportunity comes elsewhere, he'll go there instead.
But if it's elsewhere, it will be there."
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That's not the kind of quote players throw out casually at the end of a season. It sounded like a warning shot before free agency opens.
And inside this organization, those comments land with weight because Montreal already gave Blais a chance to re-establish himself.
Blais wants more than a depth role in the NHL
Kent Hughes signed Blais on July 1 as one of only 2 outside free agents added that day.
The other was Kaapo Kahkonen.
At the time, the move looked like a sensible bet on a Quebec-born winger with NHL experience and a chance to help on both sides of the puck. But the year never settled.
Blais had a solid camp, then got claimed off waivers by the Maple Leafs.
Montreal later claimed him back, yet the bounce between organizations only added more uncertainty to his season.
He saw limited NHL action and ended up finishing the year in Laval.
The part that stands out now is what didn't happen after that.
When Montreal started shaping its playoff-depth group, Blais wasn't brought up with the Black Aces.
For a player trying to show he still belongs in the league, that silence says plenty.
That's why his latest comments feel less like frustration and more like positioning.
He's making it known that he wants an NHL roster spot, not just organizational depth.
Now the pressure shifts to Hughes.
The Canadiens have to decide whether Blais still fits their plan or whether another team will offer the lane he's looking for.
If that lane opens, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him walk on July 1.
Right now, Samuel Blais sounds like a player already leaning toward the door.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 12, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Josh Doan | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Cutter Gauthier | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mason McTavish | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alex Newhook | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Beckett Sennecke | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Olen Zellweger | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Evans | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brandon Saad | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||