Hughes Admits He Was Caught Off Guard by the Maple Leafs' Latest Move Toward the Habs

That was also the case for Kent Hughes, as reported by the site DLC.

In a recent interview with TSN 690 Montreal, the Canadiens' general manager revisited the Maple Leafs' acquisition from about ten days ago and admitted that he really didn't expect Blais to end up with the Toronto organization.

It's very rare to see Kent Hughes comment on such topics, but he let slip a very interesting answer here.

Let's remember that the Maple Leafs could have signed him to a contract on July 1, during the opening of free agency, but instead opted for the services of Michael Pezzetta.

In the end, the friendly, curly-haired mustachioed player who proudly wore the bleu-blanc-rouge sweater was also placed on waivers and began the season in the American Hockey League.

Clearly, that changed the Canadiens' plans.

As for Samuel Blais, he'll be reunited with a very familiar face - head coach Craig Berube - who coached him with the St. Louis Blues.

They even had the chance to lift the Stanley Cup together in 2019, and one might wonder whether Berube was behind Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving's decision to claim Blais off waivers.

But according to Kent Hughes, he believes it was rather the number of injuries within the team that prompted the Leafs to call upon the services of the Montmagny-born forward, rather than his past connection with the former NHL enforcer.

Now, the question is how long Samuel Blais will remain in the lineup of a team chasing its first Stanley Cup since 1967.