FLAMES TRADE FOR POTENTIAL
Flames GM says former Senator will add ‘piss and vinegar’ to young forward corps
Lazar eager for fresh start in Calgary
Throughout weeks of rampant speculation about the type of players available to the Flames and other clubs, the name Curtis Lazar was rarely uttered.
But just because he wasn’t on most people’s radar doesn’t mean the Flames weren’t keenly interested in the 22-year-old with one of the more sparkling junior resumes possible.
“It’s a transaction we’ve done a lot of homework on,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving, who wisely veered away from a thin-yet-pricey rental market to nab Lazar and minor-league defenceman Mike Kostka from Ottawa for a second-round pick and Jyrki Jokipakka.
“You’re making calculated bets in this business and information is the currency we trade in. We feel we have good information on this player and think there’s upside as there’s good skill and attitude there.”
Good size and experience, too, for a centre who was drafted 17th overall in 2013 before winning a Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings and a world junior championship as captain of Team Canada.
Yes, his stock is down thanks to off-season mono, a new coach and a 33-game season that netted the youngster no goals and a ticket out of town.
Much like another hotshot first-rounder named Sven Baertschi, it was simply time for a change of scenery, opening the door for Flames assistant coach Dave Cameron to vouch for the youngster’s talent and attitude from his time as Lazar’s head coach in Ottawa.
Flames assistant GM Brad Pascall spoke glowingly of his time with Lazar in various Team Canada endeavours, confirming what Treliving had gleaned from a two-hour lunch with Lazar before the draft in 2013.
“This is a kid who moves well, has a thick body, excellent character,” said Treliving, who sees Lazar as a long-term core piece who he will protect for the expansion draft and re-sign as a restricted free agent.
“We look at hockey sense and he’s got it in spades. We’re not making this bet based on what he’s doing today — we think there is significant upside. He fits right in with our age group. He’s got a lot of work to do to get to the level we want him to and he’s committed to doing that. He’s got some piss and vinegar to him and I don’t think that’s bad to add to our group.”
A quick conversation with the excited young man confirms just that — the excitable and well-spoken native of Salmon Arm, B.C., has been dying for a new lease on his hockey career. He sees himself as a rough-andtumble forward who is built to play in the west.
Recognizing his Flames are still a few years away from going for broke by giving up precious draft picks at the deadline for costly rentals, Treliving completed a few weeks of savvy moves shoring up the team’s depth.
Mindful of not disrupting the chemistry of his surging squad, Treliving added a forward for the one line that needed it — Sam Bennett’s third unit.
And in a perfect world, Lazar and Bennett find a way to help one another climb out of a rut that has both former-first rounders find some semblance of the scoring touch they had in junior. In the meantime, both add grit, both can play wing or centre and both have plenty to prove.
“A lot of today is about the belief we have in this group — it’s a message we believe in them,” said Treliving, whose move last week to add defenceman Michael Stone (for a third-rounder) was also roundly applauded, paying instant dividends as part of the club’s five-game winning streak.
“We have a good chemistry and mix right now. We weren’t really interested in betting heavy on the rental market. There was a thinness to it. We checked in and looked at the process and for us right now the more prudent move if we were going to spend an asset was making a long-term play. It’s not just what’s best for the team next game, but next year and beyond.”
With Brian Elliott rebounding from a horrid start to kick-start an 8-1-1 run, Treliving insisted he spent little time exploring goalie options at the deadline.
“The idea that we were really active in the goalie market really wasn’t real,” he said. “We wanted to strengthen the defence in front of them.”
Nor was Treliving searching for a top-line winger thanks to Micheal Ferland’s four goals in five games while playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
Instead, he focused on adding depth — something the versatile Lazar should be able to provide rather soon with his new start.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder — I talked to Brad Treliving and he wants me to come out there and be me,” said Lazar before jumping on a westward plane. “I have all the mechanics to be something special.”
If his intensity and smarts can match his confidence and enthusiasm, the Flames may have reeled in a significant fish just prior to Wednesday’s trade deadline.
Granted, that’s a big if. But it’s a calculated gamble worth taking, especially considering the perceived weakness of the upcoming draft and how weak the rental pool was.