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Chicago Blackhawks Complete Trade with Buffalo Sabres

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 1:06 PM ET

The Buffalo Sabres have made some surprising moves in recent times, and now they've made another, acquiring a late-round pick for a veteran forward.

This off-season is a critical one for the Buffalo Sabres, and after making several draft day trades along with moving JJ Peterka, General Manager Kevyn Adams is back at it again on day one of free agency.

According to reports, the team are sending 30-year old veteran Sam Lafferty back to his former home in Chicago in a deal that sees Buffalo acquire the Blackhawks 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

The 30-year old spent two seasons with the Blackhawks between 2021 and 2023, but since then he's failed to produce at a high level in the NHL, tallying just 4 goals and 7 points with the team last season.

Now, the former fourth-round draft pick will have the chance to win a significant role on this Blackhawks team that needs talent to step up and produce around Connor Bedard, and while Lafferty, with a career high of 13 goals won't be the star they need, it's a solid depth move for a reasonably cheap price.

With $2 million left to be paid over the final year of his deal, this is a solid move for the Blackhawks, and with the Sabres unloading this money for a future pick, they may be looking to get aggressive to add some talent this summer.

Ultimately though, this is going to be one of the smaller moves made on draft day, with neither team improving or getting worse at a very high level, but for both teams, it's a deal that on some level makes plenty of sense.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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