Blackhawks trade for one of Kyle Davidson's favorite forwards

For the third time, the Chicago Blackhawks have acquired forward Sam Lafferty.

Right before the start of free agency, the Blackhawks sent a 2026 6th-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Lafferty. Lafferty, 30, registered seven points in 60 games last season with the Sabres.

Kyle Davidson has only been in Chicago for four years, but he has already traded for Sam Lafferty three times. In January 2022, the Blackhawks traded Alexander Nylander to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Lafferty. Lafferty would remain in Chicago for the next year before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2023.

Chicago would re-acquire Lafferty in June 2024 in the deal that brought Ilya Mikheyev to the Blackhawks. Chicago traded for the rights of Lafferty, who was about to hit free agency. Davidson and Lafferty were not able to come to an agreement and on July ,1 he signed a two-year $4 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

A year later, Lafferty will play the final year of his contract with the Blackhawks, carrying a cap hit of $2 million. In 51 games with the Blackhawks during the 2022-23 NHL Season, Lafferty registered 10 goals and 21 points in 51 games, which was his best stretch of his entire career.

Last season in Buffalo was a low point for Lafferty. He spent a few weeks on injury reserve for a lower body injury in December and he was never able to replicate his success he had with the Blackhawks and later with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2023-24 NHL Season.

The Blackhawks' addition of Lafferty adds more physicality and grit to the bottom six. Lafferty, entering a contract season, will be given a big opportunity with the Blackhawks. With so many young forwards stepping into the lineup, having someone with a little more experience like Lafferty is going to be a plus for this team.