The Canadiens have signed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, per Frank Seravalli. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.15MM – equivalent to the maximum buriable salary, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic. The team confirmed that signing and also announced a one-year, one-way deal for winger Sammy Blais. Blais’ deal is worth the league minimum, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA.
Kahkonen will headline this move, stepping up as the veteran presence set to compete with young goaltenders Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler for the NHL backup role. The role winner will operate behind Sam Montembeault, who posted a .902 save percentage across 62 games this season. All three options could reasonably win out the role – Kahkonen for his years of experience, Dobes for a hot flash mid-season, and top prospect Fowler on the heels of an electric 2024-25 season.
Kahkonen will enter that competition on the heels of a full season in the minor leagues, split across tenures with three different clubs. His year began with the Colorado Eagles, though he only stuck with the club for two games and a .919 save percentage before being recalled for one NHL game, then subsequently claimed off of waivers by the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg assigned Kahkonen to the Manitoba Moose, where he filled his hardiest role of the season. Kahkonen stepped in as Manitoba’s starter and posted a .885 save percentage and 6-14-2 record through 22 games. That slow start was enough to prompt a Trade Deadline move to the Florida Panthers in what was a one-for-one swap with goalie Chris Driedger. Kahkonen finished the year with a .906 save percentage in 12 games with the Charlotte Checkers. Another move, this time to Montreal, should open the door for Kahkonen to return to the heights of the NHL, though only in a backup role. He has previously recorded a .898 save percentage and 49-68-15 record in 140 career NHL appearances.
The path to NHL minutes may not be as clear for winger Sammy Blais, who spent the full season in a top-line role with the Calder Cup-winning Abbotsford Canucks. He was a persistent source of energy and physical presence all year long, ultimately finishing the regular season wit h14 goals and 40 points in 51 games. Not done yet, Blais then paved his way to 19 points and a staggering 77 penalty minutes in 23 games of Abbotsford championship run. It was the first title Blais has won since he joined the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues on their run to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Blais has often been a bottom-line option at the NHL level, but has still amassed 71 points and 122 penalty minutes across 257 career games. His last NHL season saw him score seven points in 53 games, though he did manage a 20-point season in the year prior. Blais will be a bruising presence for Montreal’s fourth line, or a top-end feature of the Laval Rocket, on his new deal.
PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed significantly to this article.