Toronto Maple Leafs Need More From These 5 Players

Toronto Maple Leafs Need More From These 5 Players

Sam Lafferty

Sam Lafferty joined the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL trade deadline last season.

With the Leafs, Lafferty registered two goals and four assists for six points in 19 games. He recorded 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 70 games between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Leafs. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Lafferty will play in the Toronto Maple Leafs bottom six for most or all of the 2023-24 season. He will play on the wing for the third line and should get time on the Leafs  penalty kill. His average ice time last season was 14:37 and will get a similar amount this season. Lafferty had four short-handed goals last season, so he is a good scoring threat on the penalty kill.

Should he not live up to expectations this season, Lafferty’s $1.15 million contract should make him easy to trade, with him also being a pending Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) next summer.

He played well for the Leafs in the playoffs last season with three points in nine games, 66.7% FO%, and 23 hits. More points would have been helpful, but his role was to be successful without the puck, and he did that. (Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)

Expectations for Lafferty this season: 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points, along with 40 blocked shots, 135 hits, and a 53% FO%.