Flames acquire former first-round pick Curtis Lazar
By Dave Holcomb
The Calgary Flames upgraded nicely by landed Curtis Lazar in a deal with the Ottawa Senators.
Winning 10 of their last 13 games, the Calgary Flames are one of the hottest teams in the NHL. It’s always tough for streaking teams to approach the deadline because general managers don’t want to mess up team chemistry.
But Flames General Manager Brad Treliving was able to improve the team’s roster without disrupting anything. Calgary acquired former first-round pick center Curtis Lazar from the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Jyrki Jokopakka and a 2017 second-round pick according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.
Ottawa drafted Lazar 17th overall in the 2013 NHL draft, but he hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations of being a first-rounder. He made his NHL debut in 2014-15 and in the last two seasons combined, he recorded 12 goals and 35 points in 143 games. However, in 33 NHL games this season, he has been practically invisible, scoring just one assist and posting a minus-10 rating.
But Lazar is still just 22 years old, and Calgary viewed him as a reclamation project that they can keep in the AHL during the remainder of 2016-17 if they so chose. In 2013-14, the center scored 41 goals and 76 points in 58 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, so his potential remains sky high.
Although he probably won’t make an impact for this season’s playoff run, Treliving doesn’t usually go for rental players, so Lazar was a great alternative. He’s still young and appears to need a change of scenery.
The defenseman the Senators gain in the deal, Jokipakka, was in his second season with the Flames, as he went to Calgary from Dallas at last year’s trade deadline. In 38 games this season, Jokipakka has one goal and six points with a minus-3 rating. Over his entire three-year NHL career, the defenseman has three goals and 28 points in 147 contests.
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Calgary’s recent hot streak has the Flames in firm control of the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with 18 games remaining.