Admittedly, it’s pretty easy to be down on Curtis Lazar.
Since arriving on the NHL scene as a 19-year old, the young forward has struggled to assert himself at the NHL level. The blend of offensive skill, intangibles and grit that turned Lazar into the 17th overall draft selection in 2013 has not translated into strong performance since he turned pro.
In fact, in his first three seasons in the league, he’s not only been one of the least productive NHL forwards relative to his ice time, he’s now been held pointless through 21 games this season.