Four NHL players placed on waivers on Feb. 3
A few players have hit the wire, with some on their way to a fresh start.
On Tuesday, four players under NHL contract were placed on waivers, including the Montreal Canadiens making forward Sammy Blais available to the other 31 teams in the NHL.
Blais (MON) on waivers
Blais has had a rather interesting season. He signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens this past offseason, but didn’t make the NHL roster. He was then placed on waivers before the regular season and was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old ended up playing eight games for the Leafs before being placed back on waivers in late November, only for the Canadiens to re-claim him.
Blais has since appeared in 13 games for Montreal, scoring two goals and three assists for five points. In 21 games overall this year, the Quebec native has notched three goals and five assists for eight points.
Blais’ one-year deal has a cap hit of $775,000. If he clears waivers on Wednesday, he would be eligible to be assigned to the Canadiens’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Also, three players were put on waivers for the purposes of contract termination – forward Ryan McAllister (Florida Panthers), goaltender Filip Larsson (Pittsburgh Penguins) and defenseman Samuel Johannesson (St. Louis Blues).
3 players on waivers for purposes for contract termination: Ryan McAllister (FLA), Filip Larsson (PIT) & Samuel Johannesson (STL0
If all three players clear on Wednesday, they will become free agents.
McAllister has been in the Panthers’ minor-league system ever since he left Western Michigan University after the 2022-23 season. Due to injuries and limited production, the London, Ont. native has never found a stable footing in the pro game.
Across four seasons with the Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s top farm team, McAllister has scored 18 goals and 28 assists for 46 points in 72 regular-season games. He’s in the final season of his entry-level contract, which has an NHL AAV of $950,000 and a minor-league salary of $83,000.
Once regarded as a top goaltending prospect with the Detroit Red Wings, Filip Larsson looks to be on the move elsewhere once again. After returning to his native Sweden for a few years, the Stockholm native signed a two-year contract with the Penguins in April 2024. The deal has a $775,000 AAV in the NHL, with a $400,000 minor-league cap hit.
However, Larsson’s play hasn’t led to a shot in the NHL. In just nine games this season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he has a 3-2-1 record with a 3.51 goals-against average and a .876 save percentage.
Johannesson was in the second season of his North American pro career, playing with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ primary affiliate. In 26 games, he has scored two goals and nine assists for 11 points. In 92 career games in Springfield, he has notched seven goals and 36 assists for 43 points.
The 25-year-old is in the final season of his ELC, which has an NHL AAV hit of $950,000 and a minor-league salary of $83,000. Johannesson was originally taken in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.