THN.com/podcast Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2Mjc0NDIwNjI3NTQ3Njc1/usatsi_19338819.jpg] The New Jersey Devils have added a bottom-six forward, acquiring Curtis Lazar from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Lazar is signed through 2024-25 and carries a cap hit of $1 million. The 28-year-old center has not played in a game since Feb. 15 and was activated off the injured reserve yesterday. Lazar has recorded three goals and five points while averaging 12:10 per game in 45 matches this season. It’s a tidy bit of work by Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who adds another defensive-minded forward to an already deep bottom six — highlighted by Miles Wood, Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian — as an insurance policy, at the minimum. Lazar won’t crack the scoresheet much, but he’s a sturdy, low-event type player that can win faceoffs (51.9 percent this season) and serve as a role player for an uberly stacked Devils team. Meanwhile, Vancouver gains some much-needed cap space and a fourth-round pick to boot. Given how far away the team is from contending [https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm], the Canucks should be selling high on depth pieces like Lazar — not to mention their top-tier players, though that’s a story for another hour — at every chance they can. The future assets are important, but honestly, it’s the extra cap space that may be the most valued currency.
