Sam Lafferty

Sam Lafferty

30-Year-Old Right WingRW
Buffalo Sabres
Out
Injury Groin
Est. Return 3/27/2025
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Lafferty netted a career-high 13 goals and supplied 24 points in 79 games with Vancouver last season. Most of his production came during a 20-game span from Oct. 31-Dec. 9 when he notched seven tallies and six helpers. Lafferty took advantage of his time in the top six for the Canucks before dropping into a bottom-six role on the depth chart. He signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Buffalo in free agency. Lafferty set a new personal best in 2023-24 with 191 hits, marking a third consecutive campaign with at least 125 bodychecks. He utilizes his speed to pressure opponents and kill penalties but doesn't move the needle much from a fantasy perspective. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Sabres in July of 2024.
Unavailable Tuesday
RWBuffalo Sabres
Groin
March 25, 2025
Lafferty (groin) isn't expected to return Tuesday versus Ottawa, per Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.
ANALYSIS
Lafferty didn't attend the morning skate. He has two goals, five points, 26 PIM and 80 hits in 50 outings in 2024-25. When Lafferty is healthy, he'll be in the mix for a fourth-line spot.
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NHL Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
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2024–25 Time On Ice Stats
  • Average Time On Ice:
    9:43
  • Average Power Play TOI:
    0:02
  • Average Short-Handed TOI:
    0:31
 
Ice Time
Power Play
Short-Handed
2022–23
15:07
0:35
1:58
2022–23
13:15
0:50
0:55
2023–24
11:53
0:23
0:21
2024–25
9:43
0:02
0:31
Sabres Depth Chart
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Sabres Power Play Depth Chart
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2020
2019
Lafferty's calling cards are speed and grit. While he didn't really live up to expectations after arriving in Toronto via trade last year, he could play an important bottom-six role for the Leafs in 2023-24. That is, if he can make the team, especially with the new arrivals in that group. Lafferty could end up being the antidote for Ryan Reaves' slow feet, and the two of them on a line could be the ultimate 60-grit sandpaper line the team needs. These skills may help the Leafs on the ice, but they won't help you in most fantasy formats. Thirty-point, 140-hit players simply don't tick enough boxes, and that's probably a best-case scenario for Lafferty.
Coming off a solid rookie campaign in which he recorded six goals, seven assists and 95 hits in 50 contests, it seemed as though Lafferty could make a push for a more consistent bottom-six role this year. However, the offseason additions of Mark Jankowski, Evan Rodrigues and Colton Sceviour will make achieving that goal significantly more complicated for Lafferty. Without a clear path to regular minutes in the lineup, the Pennsylvania native figures to remain a low-end fantasy option heading into 2020-21.
Lafferty saw action in 70 games with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year, notching 13 goals and 36 helpers over that span. Even if the Brown University product puts together a solid showing at training camp, the Penguins will almost certainly send him back to their minor-league affiliate in order to ensure that he gets ice time, rather than watching from the press box inside PPG Paints Arena. If he can continue to improve his game, Lafferty could carve out a role as a penalty-killing specialist with the big club in the future.
More Fantasy News
Suffers groin injury
RWBuffalo Sabres
Groin
March 22, 2025
Lafferty sustained a groin injury during Saturday's 4-1 loss to Minnesota.
ANALYSIS
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Gaining playing time for now
RWBuffalo Sabres
March 9, 2025
Lafferty was in the lineup for the fourth straight game in Saturday's 4-0 loss to the Panthers.
ANALYSIS
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Garners helper Thursday
RWBuffalo Sabres
January 24, 2025
Lafferty notched an assist, two hits and two PIM in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Flames.
ANALYSIS
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Opens scoring in loss
RWBuffalo Sabres
January 11, 2025
Lafferty scored a goal on five shots and added two hits in Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Kraken.
ANALYSIS
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Provides helper
RWBuffalo Sabres
December 31, 2024
Lafferty managed an assist, three shots on goal and three hits in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Stars.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Rights on the move?
RWFree Agent
June 26, 2024
Lafferty's negotiating rights are expected to be traded to the Blackhawks this week, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
ANALYSIS
The Canucks' main motivation for the deal is to dump Ilya Mikheyev's salary. Lafferty was previously reported to be expected to test free agency, and it's unclear if he'd be willing to sign with Chicago -- a team he played for over parts of two seasons. The 29-year-old had 24 points in 79 contests in 2023-24 as a bottom-six forward.
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