What To Expect From Sam Lafferty This Season

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Jared
May 24, 2022 (4:18 PM)

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Sam Lafferty was acquired by Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks on January 5th from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Alex Nylander. While Nylander was given many opportunities to flourish in Chicago, he could never truly find his footing in the lineup. Nylander and Lafferty both needed a change of scenery to attempt to change the trajectory of their careers, which was the driving force behind the trade. Lafferty (27 years old) had 2 assists in 10 games in Pittsburgh before the trade.

Since coming to Chicago, Lafferty tallied 11 points (5 goals, 6 assists) in 46 games played. While Lafferty may not be the best skater in terms of offensive production, he brings a physical presence to the lineup that the Blackhawks desperately need. Lafferty in a grinder who isn't afraid to throw his body around to make a play, win puck battles in the corner, or position himself right in front of the blue paint to attempt a screen on the goalie. General Manager Kyle Davidson is a huge fan of Lafferty's speed and style, leaving the coaching staff with the ability to play him up and down the lineup on a nightly basis. Lafferty's hard work and style of play has earned him high praise from Derek King, resulting in him signing a new contract to stay in Chicago. On April 29th, Lafferty signed a 2-year extension worth $2,300,000 ($1,500,000 AAV). Now that Lafferty is going to be a part of this rebuild for at least the next two years, what should we expect?

Since the Blackhawks have entered a rebuild and lack substantial forward depth in the prospect pipeline, Lafferty should see an increased role and more ice time than he has had in his career up to this point. Lafferty averaged 13:34 of ice time a game with Chicago this past season, which is a career high. The Blackhawks also have roster decisions to make with Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. If one, or both, of the young forwards are moved, Lafferty will slide into a top 6 forward role, more than likely playing on a wing. With Lafferty's hard style of play and the grit he brings with him on the ice, playing top-6 skater minutes should increase his offensive production well beyond his production from last season. The young skaters on the Blackhawks will benefit from having Lafferty around, hopefully watching and trying to learn his mentality and approach to his gritty playing style that was prevalent on all of the Stanley Cup winning teams. Look for Lafferty to have a major impact this season and prove that he belongs in Kyle Davidson's future plans for the Chicago Blackhawks.