The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Curtis Lazar to a three-year contract.
The Vancouver Canucks love their depth forwards.
As the market kicked off on Wednesday morning, the Canucks got in on the free agent frenzy, agreeing to terms with forward Curtis Lazar on a three-year deal worth an average annual value of $1 million.
The deal, which now ties Lazar to Vancouver through the 2024-25 season, comes in at a higher term than would be expected for a bottom-six forward like Lazar but does keep his yearly price tag low enough to bury in the AHL if it ultimately does not work out.
Lazar has been hailed as a terrific teammate for practically his entire career, earning rave reviews for his attitude and work ethic behind the scenes throughout each of his stops in Ottawa, Calgary, Buffalo, and Boston. The 27-year-old will not put up massive offensive numbers, coming off a year during which he produced just eight goals and 16 points in 70 games, but Lazar is a responsible defensive asset who can be trusted to push possession in depth minutes.
The Canucks, who are poised to make a leap next season after finally moving on from the Jim Benning era, see Lazar as a perfect addition to their bottom six. And for just $1 million per year, it's a decent bet to make with very little risk attached.
As opposed to previous years when the Canucks would hand top-six money to bottom-six forwards, Lazar's deal from a financial perspective makes a ton of sense.
The wheels are turning in Vancouver. And they might not be done, either.