Blais excited to be back with the Blues

Is it true?
That's the text Sammy Blais got from Robert Thomas on Thursday afternoon while he was shopping for a new dress shirt at a New York City shopping mall.
Until then, Blais had not seen any of the trade rumors that were swirling online, but a quick look at Twitter told him he might be headed back to St. Louis.

"I saw the rumors, and then about 30 minutes later, the GM of the Rangers called me and told me I was traded here," Blais said after arriving in town. "I was a little surprised, but at the same time, I'm really happy to be back here.
"Everybody knows how much I loved it here," he added. "Obviously winning a Cup here, when I heard the news yesterday I was excited to come back here. It was really tough leaving, but like I said, I'm happy to be back now."
Blais boarded a 6:30 p.m. flight from New York to St. Louis and landed soon after 8 p.m. Thursday. On Friday morning, he was on the ice for practice with Ivan Barbashev and Noel Acciari - a line Blues Head Coach Craig Berube thinks could provide a solid identity for a club trying to turn around its season.
"He's excited and we are too," Berube said of the team re-acquiring Blais. "He was a good player for us for awhile, and I had him for a long time obviously down in the minors, too. He brings energy to our team, he's got a good personality and I think he'll be good for our locker room. He brings some grit to our team.

"He has the capability of scoring some goals," Berube added. "We've got to try and get him around the net more, using his shot more, he's got a good shot. He's a strong guy, he's a heavy guy. For me, if he (uses) that, he's gonna score some goals."
Blais was drafted by the Blues in the sixth round (No. 176 overall) in 2014. He made his NHL debut with the team on Oct. 14, 2017 in Tampa Bay and later played a role in helping the Blues capture their first Stanley Cup in 2019.
As a Blue, Blais has 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) over parts of four seasons. He was traded to the New York Rangers in a July 2021 deal that brought Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis, and in two seasons in New York, he played 54 games and recorded nine points. His first season with the Rangers was derailed by a torn ACL that ended his year in mid-November.
"Getting Blaiser back, we had success with him (before)," Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong said. "He has played probably his best hockey here in St. Louis. I talked to him and he's excited about coming back. He needs to come back in here and stay healthy and play and confirm his spot in the NHL and we have the ability to give him that opportunity."
"When I got traded (the first time), Army called me and said you never know what could happen later on, you might be here again one day," Blais said. "And yesterday, it happened."