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.
Both Lafferty and Anthony Angello were returned to the AHL on Monday after the Penguins added a trio of forwards at the deadline. Lafferty has spent most of the season in Pittsburgh, scoring six goals with seven assists (13 points) in 46 games.
Lafferty will come out of the Penguins lineup on Saturday due to an illness, so Thomas Di Pauli will make his NHL debut in Montreal.
