Toronto Maple Leafs: Regular Role Awaits Sam Lafferty

The Toronto Maple Leafs have an abundance of skill and finesse among their group of forwards and this has led to never-ending criticism is that they lack snarl and sandpaper throughout their lineup.

When last year’s pre-trade deadline acquisition Noel Acciari decided to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs via free agency over the summer for the Pittsburgh Penguins, he took those attributes with him.

Zach Aston-Reese was another down-the-lineup forward who the Leafs chose not to resign. Ryan Reaves was signed as a free agent for one purpose, to protect the stars, although it’s yet to be explained how he will do that playing eight minutes per night on the fourth line.

All of these offseason maneuvers have created an opportunity for Sam Lafferty to grab hold of a regular role.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Regular Role Awaits Lafferty

Acciari was a useful addition to last year’s lineup. His acquisition was overshadowed as a secondary part of the deal to obtain Ryan O’Reilly, but he brought shot-blocking, hitting, and tenacity to the roster.

Lafferty, also a subplot part of a trade, was somewhat redundant with Acciari filling forechecking, hitting, and penalty-killing roles.

With the departure of Acciari, Lafferty has the opportunity to fulfill those jobs. He brings similar elements but was occasionally a healthy scratch last season with the more proven, veteran Acciari around.

Lafferty should have plenty of motivation this year. He has the chance to further establish himself as a regular contributor on an NHL roster. Furthermore, he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent during the summer of 2024.

The Toronto Maple Leafs can look to him to bring those same elements as Acciari. Their career advanced stats are strikingly similar.

Acciari’s career CF% is 47.8, Lafferty’s is 45. Offensive zone start percentages also mirror each other. Acciari at 37.4, while Lafferty is at 36.2. The takeaway? Both are relied on for their defense.

The time-on-ice for each of them falls in the 12-13 minute range. They each average around 2.5 hits per game.

The only slight difference in their stats is blocked shots and their takeaway/giveaway ratios.

Acciari averages close to one blocked shot a game, while Lafferty blocks shots at half that rate. Acciari has almost a 2:1 ratio of takeaways to giveaways; Lafferty is 1:1 in that category. (All statistics courtesy of HockeyReference.com.)

As training camp is about to begin, Lafferty finds himself situated on the fourth line and holding down a spot on the second unit for killing penalties.

Throughout the preseason and into the regular season, Lafferty’s job will be to fend off any challengers to his position, play well defensively, and bring a physical presence.

Do that, and he may find himself being a permanent fixture on the Toronto Maple Leafs fourth line. Lafferty might also be rewarded with a multi-year deal at an increased salary.

A fourth-line role on an NHL roster is fluid, but players who embrace the job often have lengthy careers and make a decent living.

Lafferty doesn’t need to look any further than his former teammate, Acciari. Now, he just has to earn it.