The New York Rangers have made another offseason move. After signing Vitali Kravtsov and Ryder Korczak to their new deals, the Rangers have decided to bring back Sammy Blais to a one-year deal worth $1.525 million.
The Rangers acquired the 25-year-old from the St. Louis Blues in the Pavel Buchnevich trade. His first season with the Blueshirts was cut short as he went down with a torn ACL after just 14 games. Blais registered four assists in that time and added 37 hits.
Drafted in the sixth round with St.Louis, he has appeared in 133 regular-season games and 27 more in the playoffs. Notably, he was a part of the 2018-19 Blues team that lifted the Stanley Cup. In that playoff run, he had a goal and three assists.
This contract is a good deal for both Blais and the New York Rangers, as he adds depth to the left-wing position. Blais can play up and down the lineup and is seeking to play a full 82-game season after going out early this past year. He is a tough player to go up against and has proved it on several occasions in his career. With the Rangers seeking their second straight playoff run, he will be a valuable piece down the stretch if the Rangers want to make another deep run.
There are still significant pieces like Ryan Strome, Andrew Copp, and Kaapo Kakko still without deals. The Rangers’ cap space currently sits at a little over $11.9 million.
