The 29-year-old center had 13 goals with Vancouver this season
The Buffalo Sabres face a season where accountability will be stressed under head coach Lindy Ruff and areas of need will have to be addressed by GM Kevyn Adams for the club to snap their 13-year playoff drought. We have been taking a look at players who could be potential trade targets this summer over the last few weeks in advance of a year that has to be considered playoffs or bust, but now we will take a look at who the Sabres could potentially be pursuing when the free agent market opens up on July 1.
Buffalo is not likely to pursue big-ticket players like Jake Guentzel or Elias Lindholm, as they will be pursuing long-term big-money contracts, but they will be looking for role players with size and two-way ability that can be signed for a lesser term and cap hit.
Sam Lafferty – Center (Vancouver Canucks)
Stats:24 points (13 G, 11 A) in 79 games, 0 points in 11 playoff games
2023-24 Salary - $1.15 million
The Sabres have some uncertainty up the middle with Peyton Krebs not stepping up late in the season when given the opportunity to play higher in the lineup, and inexperienced options at center in Matthew Savoie, Jiri Kulich, and Noah Ostlund. GM Kevyn Adams may be looking for more of a two-way experienced option to play on either the third or fourth line and veteran Lafferty could be a fit in either spot.
The Hollidaysburg, PA native was an undrafted free agent signing of the Pittsburgh Penguins after playing four years at Brown University. After a full season in the AHL, Lafferty made his NHL debut in 2019 and played 94 games over the next three seasons before being dealt to Chicago for former Sabres first-rounder Alex Nylander.
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The 29-year-old flourished with the Hawks in 2022-23, scoring 21 points in 51 games and four short-handed goals before being dealt just before the deadline to Toronto along with another former Sabre Jake McCabe, where he helped the Leafs win a playoff round for the first time in 19 years.
Before last season, Toronto shipped Lafferty to Vancouver for a draft pick, where he scored a career-high 13 goals for the Canucks. Lafferty is speedy and energetic and can play on special teams.
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