Oilers sign forward Curtis Lazar to one-year contract

A star in his junior days with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, Lazar was a first-round pick (No. 17 overall) of the Ottawa Senators in 2013 and also captained Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Lazar quickly established himself as a strong defensive bottom-six forward with the Senators as a rookie in the 2014-15 season and helped the team make a surprise push for a playoff spot (thanks in large part to goaltender Andrew Hammond) that spring.

After parts of three seasons in Canada’s capital to begin his NHL career, Lazar spent time with the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, and Vancouver Canucks before arriving in New Jersey at the 2023 trade deadline.

In 572 NHL games over parts of 11 seasons with six different teams, Lazar has collected 47 goals and 125 points. The Salmon Arm, B.C. product has added two goals and three points in 30 postseason contests with Ottawa, Calgary, Boston, and New Jersey.

Lazar is the second ex-Flame to join their rivals in Edmonton in the last two days. He’ll reunite there with former Calgary teammate Andrew Mangiapane, who signed a two-year, $3.4 million-AAV deal with the Oilers on Tuesday.

The Oilers finished the 2024-25 season in third place in the Pacific Division before embarking upon their second consecutive run to the Stanley Cup Final, which ended in similar fashion to their first — with a loss to the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.