'Know what you can offer': Numbers game for Oilers fourth-liner Lazar, 30

Curtis Lazar says there was a come-to-Jesus moment four years into his pro career when the first-round draft pick realized he wasn’t an offensive weapon any longer after being a driving force on the 2014 Edmonton Oil Kings Memorial Cup winner.

Not every young player looks in the mirror.

Not every young player gets that they have do other things, unnoticed by the fans, but not their teammates or the guy behind the bench if they want to stay in the NHL.

But the well-travelled fourth-liner did, which is why he’s played 615 games.

“I’ve been there, I’ve done it…I know what it takes to win and I know what it takes to contribute,” said the Edmonton Oiler forward, who had a so-so training camp, then sat in the press box as a healthy scratch, got hurt and missed games but is rounding into form as an advertised right-shot centre/winger, a strong face-off guy and a complementary penalty-killer.

Yet, every now and then the forward, who has played 13 of the Oilers’ 29 games, gets a scorer’s snipe.

Like Saturday against Winnipeg Jets when Lazar casually blew a shot past young Tomas Milic from the high slot. Took the gun out of the holster and bang, a goal.

He knows the score. The Oilers will certainly have too many bodies and not enough chairs when Jack Roslovic (undisclosed injury after blocking a shot), Noah Philp (concussion on LTIR for 10 games and 24 days), Kasperi Kapanen (knee), and Connor Clattenburg (stick cut over his eye, out a week) return.

Plus, Ike Howard is percolating in Bakersfield with four goals and nine points in eight games, and fellow rookie pro winger Quinn Hutson (13 goals, 24 points), is fourth in AHL scoring. Howard will be back, at some time, and the college free-agent Hutson is clearly knocking on the door.

But, if Lazar is part of a numbers game, along with Czech-born David Tomasek, who is not used to be a fourth-liner after driving play and winning the Swedish League scoring title last season, then so be it.

This is not Tomasek’s usual lot in life clearly, but he also scored Saturday, burying a nice relay from Trent Frederic, who had his best game in weeks.

But it’s Lazar’s neighbourhood, scoring in New Jersey in garbage time in a 5-3 loss Oct. 18, and now against the Jets. He’s played just 13 games, but he’s fine with it.

“Tonight was great. You get a regular shift, your confidence going,” said Lazar, who played 12:48, the second most minutes of any game this season.

“You show the coaches something, but also personally, you know what you can offer. You want to be able to win your shift. Feels good.”

Nomadic run

Lazar, Ottawa’s first-round pick (17thoverall) in 2013 after 38 goals with Oil Kings, has had a nomadic run from the Senators to Calgary, from Buffalo to Boston and Vancouver and onto New Jersey before here. He’s played in the AHL in Stockton (Flames farm club), Binghamton (Ottawa), Rochester (Buffalo), so he’s seen both sides. By now, he rolls with the punches, realizing he’s a role player.

But a good one, who turns 31 just before the Olympic break in February.

“It’s the NHL. You can’t take any day for granted. Whatever happens, happens. But when you do the get, you better be able to do the job,” said Lazar, who is winning 53.6 percent of his face-offs and also on the PK, a staple of his duties for a long time.

It wasn’t clear sailing after Lazar was a first-rounder.

“I’ve been through almost everything in this league. It’s not easy, but it’s the NHL, best league in the world. There’s lots of ins and outs and for me, it’s how can I stay relevant? How can I make a difference? I’m 30 now, I’m old. After breaking in (pro) at 19, the league’s changed so much. For myself, it’s been about adapting. Trying to carve out a role, get the trust of a coach,” he said.

Lazar knows when he had to change who he was.

“When I was in Stockton, after I had been moved to the Flames. I needed that year, probably should have had it when I was 19 but the rule wasn’t in place (he still had junior eligibility left with the Oil Kings) so do so,” said Lazar, aware that will be changing next season where NHL teams will be allowed a 19-year-old draft pick to play in the AHL, with the exact details on who can go still to be worked out.

“You can complain (as a kid) and say ‘I should be in the top six. I should be on the power play, this and that.’ But I had to flip the script. I said ‘if that’s not going to happen, I want to be the best bottoms six player I can be.’ Play with energy, be reliable defensively, be good on the penalty-kill. I love that challenge, going into buildings against other team’s top (PP) units,” he said.

“It’s a job that doesn’t get a lot of recognition, but it’s fun. It’s valuable.”

Got to want the change

But lots of kids don’t want to change.

What’s the secret?

“Don’t tell them. Or I won’t have a job,” laughed Lazar.

A coach can tell big-name juniors or high-scoring college players they have to change or round out their games without the puck, but they only want to work on what they’re good at. Years back, Andrew Cogliano here, had to change.

Had to start playing like a young Todd Marchant.

He did it. He played 1,426 games, won a Cup in Colorado and now works for the Avalanche in player development.

“Everyone has a different path. I want to stay in the NHL. I want to be with this team. I want to build with them. I want to win a Stanley Cup with them. The top six spots are kind of taken here, but you do what you can. And it can be rewarding,” he said.

“Guys get up (on their feet on the bench) for guys who block shots, are good in the defensive end. The foot soldier mentality that’s often overlooked,” he said.

Lazar knows there’s lots of forwards here. And the centre Philp, who has to clear waivers to be sent to Bakersfield and the right-winger Kapanen also shoot right. They’ve also killed penalties.

“I’ve been through it all and worrying about it, stressing. It gets you nowhere. You want your teammates to have success. I’m getting to the tail-end of my career but I want to set up for the newer, younger guys to go for that role. There’s no ill-will. I don’t want them to do badly, you want them to carve out a role like I did,” he said.

The Oilers sent Matt Savoie, another first-rounder in Buffalo who came here in the trade for Ryan McLeod, to Bakersfield last season and had him killing penalties. It was his foot in the door to more minutes, certainly in the early going this season when he was farther down the lineup, before he got a shot with Connor McDavid, and now he’s on right-wing with Leon Draisaitl.

Lazar loves the fire Savoie plays with, loves that he’s killing penalties.

“Killing penalties makes a player feel more responsible, in all situations. That’s how you gain trust in this league. Everybody can skate, pass, shoot. Savvy is a helluva player. I’m blown away at where he’s at,” said Lazar.

And where Lazar’s at, playing fourth-line minutes, he’s up for it.

“I’ve had a bit of runway here,” said Lazar, who has played four straight games.

“You get a few more shifts like this one (6-2 win over the Jets). Ultimately, whatever happens (roster), that’s their decision. You just hold your head up high.”

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