The Vancouver Canucks have made their first signing in free agency.
It was first reported by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman that the Canucks have signed Curtis Lazar to a three-year contract. The term might scare you but the AAV is only one million dollars per season.
The Canucks made it official not long after.
Welcome to Vancouver, @CurtisLazar95!#Canucks agree to terms with forward Curtis Lazar on a three year contract.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) July 13, 2022
DETAILS | https://t.co/axochLtXL3 pic.twitter.com/weEzs6DpY2
“Curtis is a valuable addition to our group,” said General Manager Patrik Allvin in the press release. “He grew up a Canucks fan, was raised in BC, and already has a strong connection to our club. He is a responsible 200-foot player who can line up at centre or on the wing. Curtis brings energy, an ability to kill penalties and takes draws from the right side, which will be extremely valuable for our team.”
Lazar is a centre but can also play right-wing. He is right-handed and that is what the Canucks needed. Lazar was very good defensively for the Boston Bruins last season and was effective on the penalty kill. He also managed eight goals and eight assists in 70 games. Those were career high numbers for him.
Curtis Lazar, signed 3x$1M by VAN, is a bottom six defensive forward who has developed into a quite useful forechecker and scoring chance suppressor. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/nQUYE7GfKA
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 13, 2022
Lazar was born in Salmon Arm BC but grew up in Vernon. So he is coming home to play for the team he grew up cheering for.
“I am very excited, they were number 1 on my list,” said Lazar on signing with the Canucks to CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal. ” It was my childhood dream. It is a team on the rise, I watched them last year and I know lots of the guys.”
Lazar was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators 17th overall in 2013. He spent his junior career with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL and won a gold medal at the World Juniors with Canada in 2015.
Unfortunately, Lazar did not live up to expectations in Ottawa. After three seasons with the Senators, he was traded to the Calgary Flames at the 2017 trade deadline for Jyrki Jokipakka and a 2017 second round pick.
He spent the next two seasons in the Flames organization before signing with the Buffalo Sabres. On the eve of the 2021 trade deadline, he was traded to the Bruins as part of the deal that sent Taylor Hall to Boston.
What do you think of the Canucks signing Lazar? Let us know in the comments below, in the Facebook comments or on Twitter!