Maple Leafs trade Lafferty to Canucks for 5th-round pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded forward Sam Lafferty to the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, the team announced Sunday.

Lafferty will make $1.15 million this season and was a bubble candidate to make Toronto's roster with final cuts looming. The Maple Leafs will likely carry a roster smaller than 23 players due to salary cap restraints and could fill out their forward group by signing Noah Gregor from his professional tryout agreement or giving preseason standout Fraser Minten a chance.

All 32 NHL teams have until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to finalize cap-compliant rosters for the 2023-24 campaign.

Toronto acquired Lafferty prior to last season's trade deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks along with defenseman Jake McCabe. The 28-year-old winger managed six points in 19 regular-season games after the move and added a goal and two assists in the playoffs.

He was a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014 and has registered 59 points in 210 career games.

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