Sam Lafferty will continue to annoy opponents in the NHL as he signs a new deal with the Buffalo Sabres. He is signing there for two years and will make $2 million per season.
Less Time, Better Results for Sam Lafferty
The 2014 draft pick has taken a circuitous route to prove he is worth an NHL spot. He went the full four seasons at Brown University after his selection, maturing in size and skill before moving on to the Wilkes-BarrieScranton Penguins. After a full season there he broke in with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a 24-year-old, bouncing between leagues.
The next year, Lafferty went straight to the NHL and caught on with the Penguins taxi squad, remaining with the big club through the season. He stayed there as a classic “Quad A” player, edging as a 13th forward until he was dealt to Chicago. On the talent-starved Blackhawks, he moved up in time and production. The hard forechecking and agitation stayed in place, and the points he added were just gravy.
Lafferty raised his value enough that the Maple Leafs picked him up in a package deal for their playoff run in 2022-23. When they didn’t get the result they wanted, he was moved once more – this time to Vancouver. With the Canucks, he established himself as a solid fourth-line player, taking advantage of his speed and size to become a tenacious forechecker. His 13 goals were a career-high in just 12 minutes of average ice time.
He played well enough that his rights were moved, once again, to Chicago. He went as a sweetener in the package that sent Ilya Mikheyev out in return for salary cap space. Normally, four teams in five years would be a red flag. But for Sam Lafferty, it’s proof that teams know his worth. He hasn’t been able to score consistently yet, but he has established himself as an NHL player.
There’s no question he’s earned his deal. He knows how hard he’s worked to get it.
Main Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
