Zucker, Lafferty eager to round out Sabres’ qualified roster

Zucker and Lafferty previously played together in Pittsburgh and shared their excitement about using their skills to complement Buffalo’s young talent.

Zucker has had an accomplished offensive career, topping 20 goals in a season six times (including a 27-goal campaign with Pittsburgh as recently as 2022-23). ​​He generates his offense through a gritty, fast-paced style that allows him to play up and down the lineup.

“I’ve always been impressed with his compete level and the intensity with which he plays every day on the ice,” Lafferty said. “He scores a lot of goals in areas that players don’t want to go around the net. He’s not afraid to mix it up and he competes all over the ice.”

Lafferty, a center who recorded 192 hits last season with Vancouver, aims to bring versatility to the lineup with the ability to take faceoffs, bring physicality and speed and contribute on the penalty kill.

“I love his game,” Zucker said of Lafferty. “I mean, he brings crazy speed. His physicality is a lot of fun to watch.”

The styles fit the identity Adams and coach Lindy Ruff are looking to build for this upcoming season, which is similar to what Zucker experienced playing against Ruff’s New Jersey Devils teams.

“It’s a fast-paced game that forces teams to try to keep up,” Zucker said. “And it’s also a game that requires a lot of skill. But he’s tried to make sure there’s enough grit on his roster to complement those skills, and I think that’s something he does very well when he’s developing his teams.”