Trade completed between the Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres involving a fan favorite: Chicago won it big time

The Blackhawks swung a trade with an unlikely trade partner recently, acquiring Sam Lafferty from the Buffalo Sabres on July 1 for a 6th round pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

It's the 3rd time that Lafferty will be a member of the Blackhawks, as he's now been acquired that many times so far in his NHL career, and they've all been by Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson.

Based on his forechecking style, he will fit right into the philosophical playing system of new coach Jeff Blashill, who is now the main man behind Chicago's bench after taking over full time for former interim coach Anders Sorenson.

Not only will Lafferty take on more of a leadership role in his latest go-around in Chicago, but he'll also be relied upon for some offense. He's only a year removed from scoring 13 goals with the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24, and the Blackhawks want to see him bounce back from what was a down year with the Sabres in 2024-25 in which he had only 7 points (4G, 3A).

It's clear Davidson sees Lafferty as a good fit with the Blackhawks considering how many times he's been brought back, and he could be playing for a new contract considering his pending UFA status next summer.

Sam Lafferty wasn't the only trade by the Blackhawks this summer, as they picked up valuable Stanley Cup-winning experience by acquiring Andrei Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Joe Veleno.

Veleno then had the final year of his deal bought out of the Kraken, and he would sign with the Montreal Canadiens for 1 year.

While the Blackhawks aren't expected to realistically challenge for a postseason spot this year, they could make some noise in the Western Conference and show their fans they're serious about climbing out of the standings basement.