The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly picked up a couple of players off the waiver wire ahead of their season-opener on Wednesday night.
According to TSN's Chris Johnston, the Maple Leafs have claimed goaltender Cayden Primeau and forward Sammy Blais off of waivers. Primeau was placed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes, and Blais by the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto claims Cayden Primeau off waivers from Carolina.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 6, 2025
Toronto claims Sammy Blais off waivers from Montreal.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 6, 2025
Primeau spent the majority of last season with the AHL's Laval Rocket. The 26-year-old tallied 21 wins and a .927 save percentage in 26 games with the Rocket, while posting two wins and an .836 save percentage in 11 games with the Canadiens.
The undrafted goaltender signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Hurricanes on July 2, but with Carolina's influx of goalies, including Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov (and now Brandon Bussi, who they claimed off waivers on Sunday), they opted to try and sneak Primeau down to the AHL.
In 55 NHL games, Primeau has 13 wins and an .884 save percentage.
Cap projections had the Leafs with $729,554 in cap space with Dennis Hildeby on the roster and 22 players. Getting Cayden Primeau at $775k allows the #Leafs to save an additional $66,667 in cap space from Hildeby’s $841,667 cap hit, and thus room for a 23rd player in Blais at… https://t.co/eiEaUrxrtE
— David Alter (@dalter) October 6, 2025
This move by the Maple Leafs could mean James Reimer, who's on a professional tryout with Toronto, likely won't be with the team entering this season.
Blais is the more fascinating claim of the two. The 29-year-old is coming off a Calder Cup win with the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring six goals and 19 points in 23 games. He also has some history with winning the Stanley Cup on the St. Louis Blues alongside Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.
The forward scored one goal and two assists in 15 games with the Blues during their cup run in 2019.
Blais has since bounced between St. Louis and the New York Rangers. In 257 NHL games, Blais has scored 27 goals and 71 points. The Canadiens hoped to get him through waivers (after signing him this summer to a one-year, $775,000 contract) and have him play with the Laval Rocket, however, that's not the case anymore.
Once Toronto sends Dennis Hildeby (who's waivers-exempt) to the AHL after claiming both Primeau and Blais off waivers, they'll be $21,221 under the salary cap, with Easton Cowan, Philippe Myers, and one of Blais, Nick Robertson or Calle Jarnkrok as a healthy scratch, per PuckPedia.
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