Lafferty will join his fourth team in the last three years as he signed a two-year deal worth $4.0 million ($2.0M AAV). with the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The 29-year-old centre spent one season in Vancouver in 2023-24, finishing with career highs in goals (13), points (24) PIMs (32) and games played (79).
Sam Lafferty News
Lafferty just finished a two-year deal, which he originally signed with the Blackhawks before being traded to Toronto and then to Vancouver. He is a pending UFA, so the Blackhawks have a small window to try and get him under contract before he hits the open market. The 29-year-old centre had career-highs in goals (13) and points (24) during the 2023-24 season.
Lafferty has been a healthy scratch for the Canucks' previous two contests but will draw back into the lineup for Vasily Podkolzin for Game 7 on Monday vs. Edmonton. The 29-year-old is in his first season with Vancouver but has struggled in the playoffs with no points, six SOG and a -1 plus/minus in 10 games played.
Lafferty has been held scoreless through the first 10 games of the playoffs and is expected to be replaced by Vasily Podkolzin in Vancouver's lineup for Game 5 vs. Edmonton. The 29-year-old Lafferty was a mainstay in Vancouver's lineup during the regular season, with 13 goals and 24 points in 79 games played.
Phil Di Giuseppe will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Lafferty to re-enter the lineup. Before being a healthy scratch on Tuesday, Lafferty played in four straight for the Canucks, registering zero points, a -2 plus minute, four shots, and four hits.
Lafferty will be the odd-man out on Tuesday as the Canucks looks to get some fresh legs in their lineup for the tail-end of their back-to-back. Arshdeep Bains will make his NHL debut in place of Lafferty.
Lafferty will get the chance to play against his former team on Tuesday as Nils Aman will be the odd-man out upfront. Lafferty has ten goals and ten assists in 51 games this season.
Lafferty had 12 goals, 15 assists, 102 SOG, 37 PIMs, and a -11 plus/minus through 70 games played with Chicago and Toronto in 2022-23 and has been traded from Toronto to Vancouver for a 2024 fifth-round pick. The 28-year-old centre will be joining his fourth NHL team in his fifth season and has 23 goals and 59 points in 210 career games played.
Lafferty has been a healthy scratch for Toronto's previous two playoff games but will draw back into the lineup Thursday for Game 2 as he replaces Zach Ashton-Reese. The 28-year-old has an assist, five SOG, two PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through fives games so far in the playoffs.
Lafferty was back with the Maple Leafs for Sunday's practice after missing the final three games of the regular season due to a personal matter. Lafferty, who will be part of the Maple Leafs fourth line in Game 1, has six points (2G / 4A) in 19 games since being acquired by the Maple Leafs.
Lafferty is expected to miss the Maple Leafs' next two games due to an undisclosed injury. The 28-year-old has 12 goals, 15 assists, 102 SOG, 37 PIMs and a -11 plus/minus through 70 games played between Toronto and Chicago this season.
Lafferty had 10 goals, 11 assists, 83 SOG, 28 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus through 51 games played with the Blackhawks but has been dealt alongside Jake McCabe, a conditional 2024 5th round pick, and a conditional 2025 5th round pick from the Blackhawks for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a conditional 2025 1st round pick, and a 2026 2nd round pick. He will make his Toronto debut on Wednesday.
Lafferty had 10 goals, 11 assists, 83 SOG, 28 PIMs and a -10 plus/minus through 51 games played with the Blackhawks but has been dealt alongside Jake McCabe, a conditional 2024 5th round pick, and a conditional 2025 5th round pick from the Blackhawks for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a conditional 2025 1st round pick, and a 2026 2nd round pick.
Lafferty has three goals, five assists, 33 SOG, 13 PIMs and is a -7 plus/minus through 27 games but will be a game-time decision Thursday vs. St. Louis as he battles a non-Covid related illness.
Lafferty has missed Chicago's previous six games due to a back injury but will return Friday as he is feeling ready to go. The 27-year-old had three goals, four assists, 11 PIMs and 26 SOG in 19 games prior to his injury.
The Blackhawks acquired Lafferty from the Penguins for Alex Nylander in early-January and the 27-year-old had five goals with six assists (11 points) in 45 games with Chicago. Lafferty was set to become a UFA at the end of the season.
Lafferty was a fourth-round pick in 2014 and is in his third season with the Penguins. The 26-year-old winger has picked up just two assists in 10 games this season.
After spending four years at Brown University and one full season in the AHL, Lafferty spent most of 2020 with the Penguins, scoring six goals with seven assists (13 points) in 50 games. There were a lot of moving parts in Pittsburgh in the offseason but Lafferty should still have a spot in their bottom-6 come January.