The Buffalo Sabres signed free agent forward Curtis Lazar to a one-year contract worth the league minimum of $700 thousand. This contract carries him through the 2019-20 season.
When Curtis Lazar signs with BUF it will be one year at league minimum of $700K.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 1, 2019
Curtis Lazar Signs With Buffalo Sabres
Over his five-year NHL career, Lazar has played for the Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames. He has put up 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 career points in 246 career games. He was originally drafted in the 1st round, 17th overall of the 2013 NHL draft by the Senators.
Last season he had no points in just a single game played with the Flames. He posted 20 goals and 21 assists for the Stockton Heat in the AHL. In his first full season with the Flames in 2017-18, he played in 65 games. He tallied two goals and ten assists for 12 points. He also added 23 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 51.4 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -3.1.
What This Means for the Future
Lazar’s career path has had twists and turns, that’s for sure. He enters Buffalo as a reclamation project. He played the majority of the season in Stockton of the AHL last year. Lazar has never really been able to live up to the expectation of his first-round draft status. He tallied 76 points in 58 games in his final year of junior hockey with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.
That being said, he can play anywhere in the lineup and could still be successful in a utility role for the Sabres. Lazar plays larger than he is, and is good on both sides of the puck. He still has some upside, but he’s not projected to be as high-flying as he once was. He could still be very successful in a bottom-six role for Buffalo and help stabilize their forward corps.
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