Lazar looks to regain swagger in AHL
Fourth-liner keen to play regularly
He certainly wasn’t demanding a demotion.
But shortly after going unclaimed on the NHL’s waiver-wire, Calgary Flames forward Curtis Lazar admitted that a stint with the farm team might be the best thing for him.
In fact, the 23-year-old would rather — at least, for now — be a regular with the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat than a frequent healthy scratch at the Saddledome.
“I just want to play. If it’s here, if it’s down in the minors, anything, I need to play,” said an open and honest Lazar after Monday ’s practice. “I want to be a part of this organization. I’m more so looking bigger picture. I haven’t been a regular since my rookie season (in Ottawa). The only way I’m going to get better is if I play every single night and get the chance to handle the puck in games and everything like that.
“For me, I’m kind of fed up of being that so-so guy that’s just plugged in here and there. I want to rebuild my game, re-establish myself, and I think the organization is on the same page with that.”
Lazar logged 65 appearances for the Flames last season, chipping in two goals and 10 assists while averaging 9:51 of action per night in a fourth-line role.
With 14 forwards on the ice for Monday’s practice, he and Garnet Hathaway were skating as the spare parts.
Lazar was scheduled to meet afterward with general manager Brad Treliving, seemingly about to become the first in franchise history to make a pitch for a plane ticket to Stockton.
“Mentally, it can be a bit exhausting coming to the rink (wondering) where am I going to be playing, if I’m playing, what position I’m playing, everything like that,” said Lazar, who has been healthyscratched a grand total of 31 times since arriving in a trade-deadline swap with the Ottawa Senators in 2017.
“I was at my best in this league when I came to the rink and knew my role, I knew what was expected of me and I could just go out there and play. I kind of maybe lost that passion, lost that swagger. The big thing for me is always my pucktouches, my scoring touch.
“So if I am going down to the American League to get some time on the power play, where I can handle the puck, to be ago-to guy in every situation, then that’s going to do nothing but help me grow. So let’s do it.
“I’ll always bet on myself because I know within a couple months, my game is going to come back and then we’ll re-evaluate where I should be.” What Lazar stressed Monday is Calgary is still where he wants to be.
Shortly after his chat with reporters, he would have been saying his goodbyes to blue-liner Brett Kulak, who also cleared waivers before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
In exchange for Kulak, the Flames acquired a pair of depth defencemen — 23-year-old Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina, 31.