Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson has now acquired Sam Lafferty in a trade for the third time throughout his tenure. 

This time, it is a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that sends a 6th-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Lafferty, who has also had stops with the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins throughout his career. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xwelcome back to Chicago, Sam Lafferty‼️👏 📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/SrGPYWevac

In 60 games with Buffalo last year, Lafferty scored four goals and three assists for seven points. It wasn't a productive year offensively for him on an underachieving Sabres team. With that said, he won over 50% of the faceoffs he took.

Lafferty is a big-bodied player (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) who can help the Blackhawks fill out their lineup in 2025-26. He won't be relied on in a big role, but he will provide depth over a long season.

Killing penalties, helping protect a late lead, and being scratched when young players come up and earn spots will make him a valuable addition for the time being. 

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Mailloux has been traded to the St. Louis Blues in a deal that doesn’t include Jordan Kyrou. The Montreal Canadiens had been rumoured to be after Kyrou, but in the end, Mailloux was swapped for Zack Bolduc.

It may be free agency day, but that’s not going to prevent Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes from pulling the trigger on a trade. Mailloux was a first-round pick, selected 31st overall in the 2021 draft.

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With Noah Dobson’s arrival, Hughes was given some flexibility when it comes to right-shot defenseman, and he visibly decided that Mailloux was surplus to requirements. As for Bolduc, he was also a first-round pick at the same draft, the 19th selection overall. A 6-foot and 187-pound right winger who shoots left, Bolduc recorded 36 points in 72 games with the Blues this season.

At 22 years old, Bolduc is an interesting project. In the 2023-24 campaign, he had played only 25 games in the NHL and gathered 9 points. His progress was impressive from one year to the next, and in his last two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, he recorded 99 and 110 points.

He skated on the Blues’ third line this past season alongside Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Neighbors, on top of skating on the second power-play unit. From the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he was the highest goal-scoring rookie in the league. 

While Mailloux had a good season with the Laval Rocket, at times he was prone to making the wrong read or decision, going for the big hit, and taking himself out of the play. The organization values David Reinbacher higher than Mailloux and decided to use its overabundance of blueliners to address needs up front.

With Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, and Michael Pezzetta not being re-signed, the Canadiens needed some reinforcement up front. They felt that going with three rookies next season in Ivan Demidov, Owen Beck, and Oliver Kapanen could have been too much. Bolduc is young, but he has some experience. The newcomer is just about to enter the last year of his ELC.

Overall, this is a good deal for the Canadiens and will help address the lack of offense, especially if Bolduc can reach his full potential.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with Logan Stankoven on an eight-year, $48 million extension that will kick in for the 2026-27 season.

Stankoven, 22, was traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline and he's fit in like a glove.

“From the moment he arrived in Raleigh, it was clear to us that Logan was a Hurricane,” said Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky in a press release. “We’re thrilled that he agrees, and is committed to being a big part of this organization long term.”

The rookie had five goals and nine points in 19 regular season games in Carolina, but he was a playoff beast with five goals and eight points in 15 games.

Stankoven might be a smaller player, but his hard-nosed, direct style of play makes him extremely noticeable whenever he's on the ice.

The Canes are making a big bet on a rookie with just 102 games of NHL experience, but it's one they're confident will work out and if Stankoven keeps progressing, that $6 million AAV will be a real steal.

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