Vancouver Canucks sign forward Sammy Blais to AHL contract, invited to training camp (PTO)

However, this isn’t your typical PTO. Typically, if a player signs a PTO but doesn’t make the team, he won’t remain with the franchise. In this case, if he fails to make the opening day roster with the Vancouver Canucks, Blais will stay with the franchise, joining the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League.

Blais, 28, is coming off a disappointing season after playing just 53 games, scoring one goal and six assists for seven points with a minus-11 rating. The former St. Louis Blue has struggled to maintain an everyday spot in the lineup. Blais has yet to play a full season, and he only has 27 goals and 72 points in 257 NHL games.

One thing Blais brings is physicality. We here at Canucks Army highlighted Blais as a potential Dakota Joshua replacement before he re-signed in Vancouver. Here’s a quick snippet from the piece.

“Although Blais has struggled offensively, his physicality has always been the bright spot in his game. He leads the group in hits per game among the mainstays in the NHL by a considerable margin, averaging 3.19 per game.”

The roster spot became available for Blais after the Vancouver Canucks traded 2019 first-round pick Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon.

The former second-round pick will be battling for a roster spot with the big club with wingers Kiefer Sherwood, Daniel Sprong, Phil Di Giuseppe, Aatu Räty, Arshdeep Bains and Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

Vancouver Canucks training camp begins on September 19th in Penticton, B.C.