Life With Lafferty: Is He a Keeper? (HIGHLIGHTS) + First NHL Goal

So far, all signs are pointing to Lafferty signing with the Hawks when his Penguins contract expires this summer. Pittsburgh was the first NHL team to make a trade in 2022 when they sent Sam to Chicago in exchange for Ryan Nylander.

As a Pennsylvania native, myself, I was a little bummed since Sam is our «homegrown» guy. He's from Holidaysburg, PA, which is less than 2 hours east of Pittsburgh. He was drafted in 2014, but opted to stay in college (Brown), and joined the Penguins' AHL affiliate (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) in March of 2018. Soon enough, he was playing his first NHL game on October 8, 2019, and in his third, he scored his first NHL goal and assist.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Lafferty's time with them wasn't terribly impressive, as he just didn't seem able to carve out a particular niche with this group of players. His work ethic was there, the potential was there, and the best thing to do for him, and for the team, was to send him somewhere he could be used.

Enter Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks.
While the Chicago stats aren't much more impressive (7 points in 34 games), the higher-ups can see what Pittsburgh saw - the potential. And that's exactly what they need in a rebuild. Honestly, I was surprised when I read that stat, because it seems like I'm always hearing the announcers say his name. Every game, he's out there doing something noticeable, and I think that's what this team needs. He's forechecking, he's taking chances, and his skill level will only improve. He's only 27, so he's got time to make that happen. And while he's been compared to Brandon Hagel (which is not a bad thing in the least), Sam Lafferty will make his own name for the Blackhawks and can easily be an essential part of creating a winning team.