Photo credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Not much fanfare was made about Sammy Blais when the Maple Leafs claimed him off waivers, but his play recently has Craig Berube rethinking how he shapes his lineup.
While the latter didn’t turn out that well, Blais has been a pleasant surprise. Making his debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he managed to not only get into his first NHL game since 2023-24, but scored as well to open the scoring for Toronto.
He’s also been a physical monster with 10 hits already through two games, and he’s giving the fourth line some much needed toughness and grit with the absence of Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz.
Sammy Blais’ Physical Edge Is Forcing Craig Berube to Rethink the Maple Leafs’ Lineup
His play as of late has been a positive in a murky time for the Maple Leafs, but he’s quickly impressing not only his head coach, but fans too.
It’s shown a side of the team they wanted to have when they brought in Dakota Joshua, one that’s extremely physical and hard to play against.
A veteran of eight seasons, Blais is known for one thing and that’s his physicality. Averaging 105 hits for his career, there’s not much he won’t try and run over — a Craig Berube staple.
They are well acquainted as Blais was part of the St. Louis Blues when Berube was head coach and won a Stanley Cup in 2018-19. While not known for scoring he has had some offensive chops and is a surprisingly solid depth piece in the playoffs (8 points in 27 games).
He’s giving the team a lot more toughness and though he’s only played 9:41 of ice-time on average, he’s doing a lot more than others.
Giving him more chances in the lineup to not only reward his hard work but also give the team a better chance to win every night shouldn’t be too difficult for Craig Berube to figure out.
Blais has proven that he can be relied on, and now it’s time for the Maple Leafs to lean on him for now.
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New Maple Leafs Forward Could Force the Team to Make a Trade
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