Sam Lafferty knows why the Blackhawks brought him back: Speed and energy

There was carnage in the Blackhawks' locker room Friday after an intense series of conditioning drills concluded the second day of training camp.

Following new coach Jeff Blashill's mantra that the "best bonding is when you go through struggle together," every Hawks player had to complete four sets of sprints — each set representing six lengths of the ice — in 51 seconds or less, with one player per group per set having to do it in 45 seconds or less.

Lukas Reichel was unable to raise himself from the Fifth Third Arena couch afterward. Alex Vlasic, between gasps for air, said it was one of the hardest things he has ever done.

Sam Lafferty, however, was tired but not exhausted. The speedy forward is back for a second stint in Chicago because of his indefatigable skating, and he knew he needed to prove Friday he hadn't lost a step.

"That's my m.o.," Lafferty said. "That's my role. That's the expectation for me. The conditioning and the energy has to be there every single day. It's something I rely on pretty heavily, so it's nice to get that out of the way and move on with camp."

Lafferty, now 30, was simultaneously "surprised and exhilarated" when he was traded from the Sabres to the Hawks on July 1. It marked, rather incredibly, the third time Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson has acquired him.

"It's always a shock to the system when you get that phone call, but it was kind of lighthearted at the same time," Lafferty said. "Kyle said something like, 'We're making this an annual thing.' It's funny to have that in this business.

"To come back and be in this building again, it feels very comfortable for me. [I feel] like I can really bring something to this group."

Davidson previously acquired Lafferty's free-agent rights from the Canucks in June 2024, but Lafferty ended up receiving a better contract offer from the Sabres — two years at $2 million per year — and signing with them instead.

Things didn't go well in Buffalo, as he managed only seven points in 60 games while averaging less than 10 minutes per night. He called it a "challenging year hockey-wise" that put a chip on his shoulder entering this season.

Getting to return to the city where he enjoyed the best stretch of his career — in 2021-22 and 2022-23 after the Hawks initially acquired him from the Penguins — while still getting paid another $2 million — since the Hawks inherited his Sabres contract — represented a great outcome for him.

He has skated on a de facto fourth line with Nick Foligno and Colton Dach so far. With so many Hawks prospect forwards eager to break into the NHL, however, Lafferty will have to fight for playing time every week.

"It's really simple for me: I'm a veteran guy now, and Kyle and these guys know my game very well," he said. "They know what I can bring when I'm playing my best. My only intention is to be a horse day-in and day-out and bring a ton of energy to this group."