It seemed odd that Curtis Lazar was activated off the injured reserve list but did not play in Thursday's game against the Minnesota Wild. Now we know why.
The Vancouver Canucks have traded Lazar to the New Jersey Devils in return for a fourth-round pick in 2024.
The Canucks just signed Lazar this past offseason to a three-year deal worth $1 million per year in hopes that he could stabilize the team's bottom six and help on the penalty kill. Considering the penalty kill is last place in the NHL and on pace to be the worst in NHL history, it didn't exactly go as planned.
Lazar still has two years left on his contract, so this clears a contract from the books for the Canucks, though not an overly expensive one. It seems clear that they did not view Lazar as a key piece for the future.
The Devils get a cheap depth piece as they push to become a Stanley Cup contender and it doesn't cost them much: a 2024 fourth-round pick doesn't break the bank for the Devils.
For the Canucks, adding a bit more draft capital for the future doesn't hurt.
