Now is the time of the year when fans can look back and honestly say, “What were they thinking, signing that player to a deal?” And while I thought in foresight that the player in question for when I inevitably wrote this article would be Jason Zucker, that hasn’t been the case, given his rather solid stint so far with the Sabres.
In fact, Zucker has looked really good and he deserves way more credit than what I initially gave him. But one free agent has done little for the Sabres. And no, before you jump to conclusions, it’s not Nicolas Aube-Kubel since I’m exempting players who have missed significant time with injuries.
But you can’t say the same about Sam Lafferty, and I’ll also admit that I groaned when the Blue and Gold signed him. That said, I simultaneously committed doublethink and thought he’d at least be a good fit for the Sabres fourth line thanks to his physical play and the likelihood that he’d be a sledgehammer on a team that needed some.
Unfortunately, Lafferty has done none of this so far in 15 games, averaging just 9:51 of average total ice time and playing with a minus-2 rating.
Sam Lafferty has disappointed Sabres fans through 15 games
So far, Lafferty has checked opponents 21 times, not a bad number that puts him on pace for between 113 and 114 this season. But, considering he landed hits 191 times in 79 games last year, I was looking for at least two per game on average.
Okay, but hits aren’t everything, right? Yeah, I would agree if Lafferty weren’t playing fourth-line minutes almost exclusively. He’s also done nothing in the way of helping the high-octane Sabres score, given his one point (one goal) in his 15 games.
No, players like Lafferty aren’t getting paid for their points production, but still, coming off of a 13-goal, 11-assist effort in Vancouver, you’d think he’d be good for between 25-30 points this season. This isn’t to say he won’t get there, but right now, it doesn’t look good for Lafferty, as he’s on track to get roughly five or six points if he keeps going at his current rate.
He’s a non-factor for special teams, and his advanced metrics look from mixed to bad, with his on-ice shooting percentage at even strength, clocking in at 4.5. Overall, Lafferty has been a bad fit, but at least he’s got time to turn things around and become a valuable lower-liner for the Blue and Gold.