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From injury adversity, to carving an NHL niche and his best stretch yet, Oilers’ Curtis Lazar showing resilience
Edmonton Oilers Curtis Lazar
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Sean Panganiban
Dec 9, 2025, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 9, 2025, 12:19 EST
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Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from difficulties or setbacks — something Curtis Lazar is no stranger to.
Lazar was a junior star in Edmonton over ten years ago, playing for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. He played in 199 regular season games with the club, recording 169 points, and he won an Ed Chynoweth Cup in his rookie season in 2010–11 and won another one in 2013-14, tallying 22 points during that playoff run. He then helped lead the Oil Kings to their first and only Memorial Cup title in 2014, recording four points in five games.
Yet, like many former junior stars, that success in junior doesn’t always translate to the NHL.
Lazar was drafted in the first round by the Ottawa Senators in 2013 after putting up 61 points in junior that season. And if you had asked me back then, after watching his successful junior career, I would have pegged his NHL trajectory as one that included multiple 50-point campaigns.
However, that wasn’t the case for the former first-round draft pick. After two seasons playing with the Senators and unable to top 20 points, he bounced around several organizations throughout his 11-year NHL career, including the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils, mixed in with stints in the AHL and dealing with various injuries along the way.
Yet, given that journey of uncertainty in the NHL, at some point, he realized he’d never replicate the offensive numbers he put up in junior, with his highest NHL point total of 25 coming in 2023–24. However, instead of packing it in, he adapted his game to become a reliable bottom-six presence and a more defensive, right-shot centre. He recently spoke about that mindset shift, focusing on being the best bottom-six player he can be, saying:
“You can kind of complain and say, well, I should be in top six, I should be in the power play, this and that. But I kind of flipped the script and said, if I’m not going to get that, let’s be the best bottom-six player I can be. You know, play with energy, be good on face-offs, be a reliable guy on the penalty kill. And I love that challenge going against other teams, top units and whatnot. And it’s fun too. It’s usually a job that doesn’t get a lot of recognition, but it’s very valuable and every team needs those guys.”
He added, “The game has changed so much and I think for myself it just kind of adapting with the game, understanding, what I can carve out into a role, how I can get the trust from the coach and just contribute any way I can.”
In addition, last season, Lazar had to be one of the most resilient he’s ever been in his career. The Salmon Arm, BC, native was limited to just 48 games after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. He persevered through rehabilitation, though upon returning to the lineup, he admitted he wasn’t performing at the level he had hoped.
Still, the Oilers took a chance on him, likely viewing him as a reclamation project when they signed him to a one-year, $775,000 deal last offseason. That said, like the team, he’s had an inconsistent start, having played in only 13 of the Oilers’ 29 games due to a combination of injuries and being a healthy scratch. However, in my view, despite being in and out of the lineup for most of the season, the 30-year-old’s game is starting to trend upward.

Lazar Tops Oilers in 5v5 High-Danger Chance Percentage Over Last Four Games

Lazar has played in the last four games and scored a nice goal in the most recent one against the Winnipeg Jets, taking a pass in the slot in the second period and burying a perfectly placed shot past Jets netminder Thomas Milic for his second of the season.
Additionally, along with that goal, according to Natural Stat Trick, he leads the team in high-danger chances for percentage at 5v5 with a 77.78 HDCF% over the last four games, while also posting a 57.91 expected goal share in that span.
In addition to playing well and posting strong metrics over the last few games, another thing that has stood out about Lazar is his mindset, particularly his focus on not taking anything for granted, as he said after the last game:
“It’s the NHL. You can’t take a single day for granted. Especially, you said you’re able to line up whatever, whatever happens, happens. But when you get the call, you want to be able to do a job. I know what I can offer and how I can help a team win. And I was glad to just kind of take that next step tonight. Doesn’t matter, you know, if you’re limited or your minutes are limited or whatnot, you still want to make the most of your opportunities. And a lot of that for me, it’s face off, defending, penalty kill.”
As mentioned, he’s played the last four games for the Oilers, and true to his goal of making the most of his opportunities, he certainly has: in that span, he’s been on the ice for two goals for and none against, while winning an average of 55.43% of his draws, which is pretty darn good, considering he’s averaged just 10:15 of ice time per game.
On that note, Lazar seems like the consummate NHL professional — the kind that may not be in the lineup every night, but when called upon, plays hard, adapts, plays solid defensively, and pretty much does whatever the coaches ask. That said, he also spoke about his long-term goal after the game against the Jets, saying:
“I want to win a Stanley Cup. I want to be a part of this team and, you know, continue to build with these guys and have success every step of the way.”
After showing so much resilience throughout his career, battling the ups and downs and re-shaping his game and identity since his days as a junior star and first-round pick, Lazar knows staying in the league takes focus and goal-setting. In his recent post-game interview, he made his objective clear: win a Stanley Cup. He seems to understand his role and what it takes to win, and hopefully, he can make that goal a reality — in the same city where he won a championship almost 11 years ago.

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