Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Sam Lafferty & Jake McCabe from Chicago Blackhawks

As Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported first, The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Chicago Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty, defenseman Jake McCabe (50% retained), a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick (conditional), 2026 second-round pick, Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev.

Lafferty was scratched ahead of Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks for trade-related reasons. The 27-year-old has 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 51 games this season and he currently ranks tied for first league-wide with four short-handed goals alongside Vegas Golden Knights Reilly Smith. He is in the final season of a two-year $2.3 million extension he signed last April. The contract has an average annual value of $1.15 million. Throughout his career, Lafferty has tallied 21 goals and 32 assists for 53 points in 191 games with the Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Lafferty was ranked No.9 on Frank Seravalli’s recent Trade Targets board here on Daily Faceoff. Seravalli listed the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins as potential suitors for the Swiss Army knife. As Seravalli describes Lafferty’s game in his Trade Deadline player profile; the Leafs’ fans can expect Lafferty to be a bottom-six forward and be a major penalty-kill contributor. He is a puck-hound and a player that any Cup-contending team would love to have in the mix.

McCabe was ranked fifth on Seravalli’s Trade Targets board. The 29-year-old defenseman has registered 20 points (two goals, 18 assists) in 55 games. McCabe has a cap hit of $4 million, but with the Blackhawks retaining half of that, it costs the Leafs just $2 million over the next two seasons. Throughout his 10-year NHL career with the Buffalo Sabres and Blackhawks, McCabe has registered 119 points (24 goals, 95 assists) 799 blocked shots and 810 hits in 483 games. Here is Jake McCabe’s Trade Deadline player profile.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks will be acquiring Anderson and Gogolev, along with draft picks. The 2025 first-rounder is top-10 protected and would shift to 2026 if the condition is triggered. Anderson was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 2016 NHL Draft, in 72 NHL games he has tallied 10 goals and six assists. He has 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League this season. Gogolev, 23, is currently in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers where he has registered 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists) in 33 games.