Prospect Info: Samuel Blais
- Thread starter Bassin Blues
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Robb_K
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He's 5'11 181. He's a fast skater, who needs to learn how to play defence and to play a more physical game. PPG in The QMJHL is not all that impressive. It's a LOT more common than in The OHL or WHL. There's a reason he lasted into Round 6. He might develop well. He's on a decent development track so far. He's still a longshot to ever make The NHL. We'll wait and see, year by year.
Borderbluesfan
Registered User
5'11" 181? Sounds a lot like Schwartz. Maybe he needs to go play major college hockey. U.S. College hockey is producing a lot of NHL players. That said a lot of our players are students from Canada and other countries.
Robb_K
Registered User
He's a French Canadien from provincial Quebec, rather than sophisticated, bilingual Montréal. I think that the odds are that he won't play for an NCAA team.
BlueSinceBirth
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- Jul 4, 2006
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He couldn't even if he wanted too. Junior players get paid and lose NCAA eligibility.
Robb_K
Registered User
I saw that he was listed at 6' 1" on the Q's website but I saw him at prospect camp and he didn't look as tall as Barbashev. As for being a 6th rounder it may also have to do with only playing in 25 games last year. Not a large sample size for a young player. If he is fast and has hockey sense he could be a decent prospect to watch. Some kids are late bloomers on growth maybe he shoots up to 6'1".
Daley Tarasenkshow
Schennsational
I don't really get the comparison to Sonne. He really only performed well like 2 or 3 years after he was drafter whereas Blais is racking points a year after he was picked.
Robb_K
Registered User
Again I say that his numbers are not as impressive as they look. A LOT of players in The Q score on a ppg level. It's a high-scoring league.Hungreds of ppg players never make The NHL. He's been progressing, but his game has a LONG way to go to be NHL worthy. No harm in following his career and holding out hope for him. But, let's see how he progresses over the next 3 years.
I just meant guy who puts up eye-catching junior stats then can't even crack it in the AHL. Not comparing him to Sonne as a player
He racked up 100 points the year after he was drafted. It wasn't like he did it as an overager.
He put up 20 points in 29 games the season after he was drafted, but he was 19 when he scored 100 points the following season - still not an overager, I don't think.
You are right. Should have looked at the stats. He didn't do it as an overager.
Production in Jr. doesn't mean as much. I am more excited about JD who was taken early the Blais. But we will not know for another year and a half.
Bluesnatic27
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- Aug 5, 2011
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I know you just said points in junior does not mean much, but I'm not very high on Dechenau and I think most of his very little hype comes from his point production. He has been putting up some nice points, but he was typically on a line with Reinhart, so I firmly believe his point totals are more inflated than any prospect we have.
I'm very intrigued in Blais just due to his play on a team with no other notable forward prospects. I understand that the QMJHL is easier to score in, but it isn't as if being over a PPG in that league is not impressive. All CHL leagues are fairly close in terms of production, and any disparity isn't severely significant. It also helps his size is fairly nice for someone his age.
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Nah, Q is the lesser of the 3 leagues and while there is some good years every now and then, it's fair to say it's the league that readies the players for pro hockey the less.
I saw Blais twice this season and while this is not enough to give a good scouting report, I would say he's huge reach to making it to the NHL.
David Dennison
I'm a tariff, man.
Daley Tarasenkshow
Schennsational
It's fair to say that people from the Q who score a lot may never make it…and it's easy to compare him to guys like Sonne and Nigro, but look at Ondrej Palat, he's a good counter example. While his production was better than Blais's, it was still a huge ppg level a year after being a 7th rounder.
As Robb said, we kinda have to wait and see what happens. I do think Blais's size may become a downgrading factor, but we will see.
As Robb said, we kinda have to wait and see what happens. I do think Blais's size may become a downgrading factor, but we will see.
Okay if I bump this? I think he's a common topic of discussion during the preseason.
Andy Strickland recently interviewed him for his weekly Hockey Sense radio show.
http://insidestl.com/hockey-sense-2-samuel-blais/2006993
Andy Strickland recently interviewed him for his weekly Hockey Sense radio show.
http://insidestl.com/hockey-sense-2-samuel-blais/2006993
This is worth the bump. I was not a big fan of Blais, but it is between him and Thompson for a spot on the third line with Steen out. I honestly thought he was nothing special and likely an ECHL player going into last season. But he is really proving me wrong.
I could see him playing on the third line and Thompson starting the year in the AHL. Would be good for him to continue to develop his center play.
I could see him playing on the third line and Thompson starting the year in the AHL. Would be good for him to continue to develop his center play.
Celtic Note
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- Dec 22, 2006
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Blais on the big squad and Thompson in the AHL is the ideal course of action given the current circumstances IMO. There are still a lot of holes in Thompson's game that I would like to see cleaned up
izzy
go
Dbrownss
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