Player Discussion Curtis Lazar appreciation thread

[arglebargle]

Kind of hit and miss here, Boro, Ceci and Smith aren't exactly the best examples here. Yes, Smith has turned into a player, but you can't say its because he played in Bingo 10 years ago. Boro and Ceci on the other hand, have really yet to prove that they are solid NHLers. Boro and Ceci are probably NHLers right now because of the obsession BM had with "local" players. (Save the Ceci ice time arguments please. There is another thread for that).

Hoff, Stone and Pageau MAY have benefited from playing in the AHL, but its hard to measure.

My point is that had most of those players been tossed into the lineup at 19, they probably wouldn't have developed into the players they are now.

The ice time thing is relevant here, because whether or not a player is "in the lineup" is less indicative of how much game time he's getting than how many minutes he gets. If you play a prospect 8 minutes a game with weak linemates and tell them to play extremely conservatively it's really unlikely that they will develop the skills they need to play in the top 6. That's the whole point of having a farm team.

 

[JD1]

How old is Chris Neil? 36? That's 18 years removed from being drafted at age 18. 7 picks a year. That's 126 players drafted. There are 20 guys dressed a night. Teams acquire players via trade and via ufa and via waivers and via signing players from out of league. If on any given night you have 13 or 14 players that you drafted in your lineup that is typically noted by those calling hockey games and your draft record is commended. Do the math on those numbers. Lazar is like the vast vast majority of a teams draft picks....it didn't work out with the team that drafted him. He's seems like a nice kid and I wish him well.

 

[playasRus]

One other difference between Calgary's approach with Bennett, Monahan, Tkachuk, Gaudreau and how their teams employed/developed them is that Lazar came in and we already had a team of young start power. Hard for Lazar to supercede the likes of Turris and Zib as a top 2 C or Ryan/Stone as a top two right winger.

If we take Monahan for example who was quickly put into a top line role because he had to compete with aging vets who just weren't as effective anymore or plugs in Matt Stajan and Joe Colborne. Gaudreau was battling the likes of Glencross and Byron.

I will say though that his most productive time was on the third line with Pageau (and Condra) so Pyatt's acquisition may have been his downfall and that he was pushed down to the 4 line where any line with Neil is going to get sub 10minutes per game and either be a liability or useless.

Ceci, not an NHLer? C'mon. I see the argument for not a top 4 d-man, but not in the NHL entirely? That's just silly.

over 25min TOI nightly on a team winning more than losing. Nbd.

 

[BVicious]

One other difference between Calgary's approach with Bennett, Monahan, Tkachuk, Gaudreau and how their teams employed/developed them is that Lazar came in and we already had a team of young start power. Hard for Lazar to supercede the likes of Turris and Zib as a top 2 C or Ryan/Stone as a top two right winger.

If we take Monahan for example who was quickly put into a top line role because he had to compete with aging vets who just weren't as effective anymore or plugs in Matt Stajan and Joe Colborne. Gaudreau was battling the likes of Glencross and Byron.

This is more or less what I was trying to say a few posts earlier. These players you mentioned were given that opportunity, and the aging players they were competing against weren't that good.

Even with Baertschi, he had quite a few points given his usage, before he was traded. Management didn't see him as a fit, even though he was producing.

The Sens have had a lot of success with developing their picks. They went a different road with Lazar, and it just didn't work for either side.

 

[jason2020]

I'm not sure if many Flames fans or management for that matter has the same expectations as Ottawa's had when they drafted him. I think they see a guy who isn't going to be the youngest on the team, and needs a fresh start. Similar to what happened with Sven Baertschi, when we gave up on him.

I still think on the surface, this was not a bad deal for either team. Sens got a good return for Lazar, based on what he has done this far. And Calgary gets a 22 yr old with some tangibles that we need going forward.

Well on the main board many Flames fans are saying he should score 20-30.

 

[BVicious]

Well on the main board many Flames fans are saying he should score 20-30.

Anyone who expects that is out to lunch. It's the same as expecting that 2nd rounder we gave up to be equal or better than Lazar.

 

[StutzlingAway]

Lazar 20 to 30 goals?...

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

IMO Lazar is an RFA at the end of this year. He will likely get a qualifying offer but if he wants to save his career he needs to play the minutes and situations where he can develop further.. Pyatt spent some time in Europe and came back a better player as an example.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Sun poll

 

[Canadian Time]

Interesting that they sat him for the second game in a row. I wonder if he'll get in this year or maybe once they've clinched a spot in the playoffs. He'd probably be helpful as an extra forward for the playoffs but will need some playing time before that. I think the Flames have a streak going too, maybe they don't want to disrupt that.

 

[Flamingo]

Was the trade to Calgary the right thing for Lazar?

 

[RedWhiteBlackGold]

Interesting that they sat him for the second game in a row. I wonder if he'll get in this year or maybe once they've clinched a spot in the playoffs. He'd probably be helpful as an extra forward for the playoffs but will need some playing time before that. I think the Flames have a streak going too, maybe they don't want to disrupt that.

Probably the streak they got going and giving Lazar time to learn the system they got in place. Not like he's going to be an immediate upgrade to their bottom six, so no need to rush him in.

 

[RedWhiteBlackGold]

Was the trade to Calgary the right thing for Lazar?

Probably didn't hurt his chances. He wasn't impressing anyone this season in Ottawa and he's at the point where he needs to show he can be an NHL'er.

 

[Rand0m]

To me it's pretty telling that they've sat him for the first 2 games after giving up a 2nd for him. How often has a player been traded FOR, yet sat the first 2 games after the trade?

They've played 2 games since the TDL so it's not like they didn't get any practice time.

Ah well, he's not a Senator anymore, best of luck to him and hopefully that 2nd can yield a good player!

 

[Cosmix]

Was the trade to Calgary the right thing for Lazar?

Yes. He needed to get out of a OTTAWA to a team that will give him another chance. I think he failed in Ottawa because he was brought into the NHL too soon. He needed to develop his skill set and that might have happened in the AHL, but I am not certain of that. Ottawa did not help him playing on the 4th line. I hope he resurrects his career in Calgary or the AHL which is where I think he might end up in the next year or two.

 

[Brue Frames]

Flames fan checking in. Brad Treliving has gone on and stated that Lazar is going to be a project and has hinted at protecting lazar in the expansions draft. I'm pretty sure the last thing we want to be doing is rushing him into the line up, especially since we got our mojo going right now. Looking forward to seeing what he can do when he gets the chance!

 

[Langdon Alger]

Was the trade to Calgary the right thing for Lazar?

Probably good for him to get a fresh start elsewhere. I hope he does well. He's a likeable kid.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Kid needs to learn how to avoid hits along the boards. He's been on the wrong end of hits quite a bit early in his career.

 

[coladin]

Flames fan checking in. Brad Treliving has gone on and stated that Lazar is going to be a project and has hinted at protecting lazar in the expansions draft. I'm pretty sure the last thing we want to be doing is rushing him into the line up, especially since we got our mojo going right now. Looking forward to seeing what he can do when he gets the chance!

Exactly, you guys are on fire right now, why tinker with that lineup?

I have a feeling it will take an injury for him to get a break at this point. He might wait a while, hopefully for your team's sake. Meaning that they are winning, that's all! Curtis is a good kid but definitely a project, needs a fresh start.

 

[Back in Black]

Flames fan checking in. Brad Treliving has gone on and stated that Lazar is going to be a project and has hinted at protecting lazar in the expansions draft. I'm pretty sure the last thing we want to be doing is rushing him into the line up, especially since we got our mojo going right now. Looking forward to seeing what he can do when he gets the chance!

Good luck to you in the Playoffs.

Looking forward to playing you guys in the final.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Lazar 20 to 30 goals?...

For his career?

Honestly, it's tough to score 20-30 in the league right now. We don't see as many as we used to, so I wouldn't expect that from Lazar. If he can score 10-15, be a strong penalty killer and be a pain to play against he should have a fine career. Dissapointing for a first round pick maybe, but he can still have a decent career doing that. Maybe he's the next Patrick Eaves?

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Flames fan checking in. Brad Treliving has gone on and stated that Lazar is going to be a project and has hinted at protecting lazar in the expansions draft. I'm pretty sure the last thing we want to be doing is rushing him into the line up, especially since we got our mojo going right now. Looking forward to seeing what he can do when he gets the chance!

That sounds like the right attitude. The smart thing to do if you're the Flames is to consider this year a write off for Lazar after he had such a terrible season somewhat due to contracting mono. The cost to acquire Lazar was fair being that it was only a 2nd in a "terrible" draft. Let him have an entire off season to regain his footing before expecting him to show something. If he shows anything positive now, that's a bonus at this point.

Realistic expectations for Lazar would be that he becomes a hard hitting high motor 25-30 point career third liner. If you're expecting more than that, you'll be disappointed. Still, especially with his off ice "intangibles" that would be a fantastic player to get at the point in the draft where the Flames pick will be.

The Sens HAD to make this trade because Lazar wasn't clicking with Boucher and he wasn't waiver exempt. It is a scenario where I believe the Flames are buying slightly low here, but the Sens would be stupid to hold on to Lazar because he wasn't going to bounce back in Ottawa.

To me it's pretty telling that they've sat him for the first 2 games after giving up a 2nd for him. How often has a player been traded FOR, yet sat the first 2 games after the trade?

They've played 2 games since the TDL so it's not like they didn't get any practice time.

Ah well, he's not a Senator anymore, best of luck to him and hopefully that 2nd can yield a good player!

Telling of what? They can't send him to the AHL. By the sounds of it, they seem to know that he is having a tough year and isn't going to come in and light anybody's world on fire. There is no roster limit after the playoffs, so acquiring Lazar for a 2nd, even if he doesn't play a single game for the Flames (which isn't likely) appears to be more of a long term move with next year in mind.

 

[Samboni]

Lazar 20 to 30 goals?...

In the ECHL maybe.

 

[BigRig4]

Has this kid actually dressed for Calgary yet lol

 

[Boud]

Has this kid actually dressed for Calgary yet lol

Wouldn't want to put him on the ice when a team is winning