The Toronto Maple Leafs have added a pair of depth options off the waiver wire. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs have claimed netminder Cayden Primeau from the Carolina Hurricanes and forward Sammy Blais from the Montreal Canadiens.
Primeau’s tenure with the Hurricanes will end after having never appeared in a regular-season contest. Carolina acquired Primeau from the Canadiens this summer for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Despite signing him to a one-year, $775K contract a few days later, he’ll now play out that contract with Toronto.
After a promising 2023-24 campaign in which Primeau managed an 8-9-4 record in 24 games with a .910 SV%, he took a nosedive last year. Despite holding a 2-3-1 record in 11 games, he produced a disastrous .836 SV% and lost his job as the Canadiens’ backup to Jakub Dobes. Fortunately, Primeau revived some of his value with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, earning a 21-2-3 record in 26 games with a .927 SV%.
The Maple Leafs’ desire to add Primeau is fairly straightforward. The team will use Anthony Stolarz as the primary starter to begin the year, but has a question mark behind him with Joseph Woll taking an indefinite leave of absence. Dennis Hildeby has likely earned the role given his impressive preseason performance, and Primeau may start the year as their third-string option behind him, unless the team converts James Reimer’s PTO to a contract.
Meanwhile, Blais rejoins head coach Craig Berube in Toronto after winning a Stanley Cup ring with him in the 2019 playoffs. He’s a high-intensity forward and is coming off an impressive year with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, scoring 14 goals and 40 points in 51 games, with another six goals and 19 points in 23 games in the Calder Cup playoffs en route to another championship run.
Not bad on the Leafs part. Primeau still has potential.
His gaa will take a dip ,Toronto doesn’t have Carolinas defense. Good luck. 👍
woll must be out for a really long time for Reimer, primeau, Hildeby, and ahkythamov all in the system
Always liked Blais as a player – 4th liner of course. Grit and some speed. Reminds me of Bill Berg LOL.
Primeau over Daws, Stevenson or DiPietro? Typical Leafs move. If Primeau can’t shine behind that Canes defence, he’s going to get shredded in Toronto. Kind of nonsensical too when you consider they could just sign Reimer or run with Hildeby. Reimer would clear waivers if need be.
Primeau is the equivalent of a AAAA ball player.
Good for the AHL….useless otherwise
Berube’s Old Boys club is a mistake Laughton was a bust and this new guy will be just the same . I would not be shocked to see him getting rid of Cowan for another Deadwood who goes on waivers. I will cheer every lose.
When Dubass was signing all the former Sault players, because they were friends, that was a mistake. Now Berube is doing the same thing, except, these guy are old and slooow and just wavier wire castoffs.