Rangers’ Sammy Blais returns to the ice after ACL surgery

Originally posted on Forever Blueshirts
By Anthony Scultore | Last updated 5/18/22

The New York Rangers lost forward Sammy Blais on November 14. He was hurt in the third period of the Rangers 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils by P.K. Subban.

On the fateful play, Blais and Subban went to the corner to retrieve the puck. The Devils defenseman appeared to stick out his skate causing Blais to go hard into the boards leaving him writhing in pain. Blais needed help off the ice and could not put an ounce of pressure on his right leg.

The Rangers announced that Blais would require ACL surgery and miss the next 6-8 months.

“I feel for the kid,” head coach Gerard Gallant said the next day.

“I feel horrible for [Blais],” Barclay Goodrow added. “He’s a big part of this team. He’s going to leave a big hole to fill. Hopefully his recovery goes well.”

Blais returns to practice

Blais, 25, was placed on LTIR giving the Rangers an additional $1.5M in cap space which was helpful in acquiring several key players at the NHL Trade Deadline.

He had 4 points (all assists) in 14 games before his season ended.

On Wednesday, the Rangers received a nice surprise when Blais made an appearance in a non-contact jersey.

#NYR Sammy Blais is on the ice for optional morning skate in what appears to be a non-contact jersey pic.twitter.com/D3NHtTZX5b
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) May 18, 2022

This comes just around the 6 month mark of his recovery. While it is likely he won’t be able to play in this series, he could be an option in later rounds.

Gallant on Blais: "It’s a great sign. He’s worked hard and he’s at that stage where he can start to skate now, which is awesome."

Could he return in the playoffs? "It's possible."

This series? "I’m not going to rule him out today, but you could probably figure that out."#NYR
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) May 18, 2022