Sam Lafferty was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vancouver Canucks on October 8, 2023, in return for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Chicago Blackhawks sent Lafferty to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, a first-round pick in 2025, a second-round pick in 2026, and Jake McCabe and two fifth-round picks.
Unfortunately for Lafferty, the Leafs’ bottom six was now unoccupied by Ryan Reaves, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi, all of whom were signed in free agency. Fans of the Maple Leafs are furious because Toronto essentially selected Reaves over Lafferty in this move.
Sam Lafferty merits a spot
On opening night, Lafferty made his Canucks debut, playing a substantial 18 minutes and dishing out one assist in a resounding 8-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. With that momentum, he scored the game-winning goal in the third period of the following game.
The American forward struggled to find the scoresheet once more, as evidenced by his minutes dropping to as low as 10:45 and his six-game streak without a point.
Not until Andrei Kuzmenko was healthy enough to be left off the starting lineup did Lafferty get a chance to play on a line with Ilya Mikheyev and Elias Pettersson. Lafferty scored and saw his most ice time since opening night during these two games.
After that, Kuzmenko was moved back to the fourth line in the game against the Anaheim Ducks, sending the native of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, back to the bench. Lafferty’s tenure was short-lived, as Rick Tocchet reversed the decision after Kuzmenko had only played two more games.
The Mikheyev-Pettersson-Lafferty line hasn’t been together for five games. The three of them regularly appear on the score sheet and have a discernible chemistry. Since the switch, Lafferty has averaged 14:27 minutes per game, scoring five points in three of the last five games.
Gains for the Canucks’ front line
Fans of hockey will notice that all of these goals have been scored in front of the net. Since Alex Chiasson’s brief 2021–2022 tenure, the Canucks have lacked a net-front presence.
Lafferty kept the pressure on the Calgary Flames by going straight to the front of the net with his stick on the ice, retrieving the puck low after a deflected pass. He was rewarded with a rebound from the point later in the play, and he scored his sixth goal of the year from there.
Again, Lafferty set himself up well at the net in the very next game against the New Jersey Devils. The Canucks forward outmuscled defenseman John Marino with his 205-pound frame, and he got his stick in the right place to tip in a wrist shot from the point by Quinn Hughes.
Tocchet said, “That’s a typical power forward goal,” in response to a question concerning Lafferty’s placement on a goal he scored against the Carolina Hurricanes. “He drives through the middle, outmuscles the opposition, grabs the rebound, and puts it in. To succeed, you must have those kinds of objectives.
Lafferty’s play appeared to please the Canucks coach. He put in a lot of effort to support a player who saw something that Canucks supporters had not yet seen, and it is paying off. He has demonstrated greatness for us. Right now, he’s enjoyed playing that part. I hope he is able to remain there.
