Samuel Blais gives Travis Green another hard-nosed option, and Ottawa got him at a price that barely moves the needle.
Blais has officially landed with the Senators after his stint in the Canadiens organization, and the contract detail gives this move a lot more context.
RDS confirmed the winger agreed to a 2-year deal worth $1.85 million in total, which makes this a clean bet for Ottawa.
That number matters. It gives the Senators a veteran winger with bite, net-drive, and experience without adding real pressure to the cap picture.
For Blais, this is the part that stands out most. A 2-year contract gives a depth player real stability, and that is not nothing at this stage.
It also says plenty about what Ottawa sees in him. This is not just a camp flyer or a one-year placeholder for the bottom six.
Ottawa adds muscle without much risk
From the Senators' side, the fit is easy to understand. Steve Staios adds a player who works through traffic and is comfortable playing a direct game.
Blais has made a career out of getting inside, leaning on defenders, and making life uncomfortable around the crease. Coaches trust players who can survive that role.
That may also explain why the Canadiens did not go there on term. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton likely saw the value, but not enough to stretch the commitment.
The 30-year-old winger still produced this season. He put up 38 points in 35 games with the Laval Rocket, including 14 goals, then added 5 points in 13 games with Montreal.
He also had a brief look with the Toronto Maple Leafs and chipped in 3 points in 8 games, which only adds to the picture: he can still help in the right spot.
Now the question shifts to deployment. Ottawa paid little, but that does not hand Blais a roster spot, and Green is not going to gift minutes on the wing.
Still, this is the kind of move teams like making in July. Low cost, low noise, and a player who knows exactly what kind of game he has to bring at puck drop.
Will Samuel Blais win a full-time spot with the Ottawa Senators?
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