Curtis Lazar will return to the New Jersey Devils’ lineup for Tuesday night’s game (Dec. 17) against the St. Louis Blues. He suffered a knee injury that required surgery at the beginning of the season.
At the end of October, the team announced that Lazar would be out indefinitely. Updates on his condition have been few and far between, but yesterday, the team revised his status to day-to-day. When asked about his injury, the 29-year-old said he was happy with the progression of his recovery. After missing 21 games, he will be back in action tonight.
#NEWS: We have placed F Justin Dowling on waivers with the intention of assigning him to Utica (AHL).
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 17, 2024
We have activated F Curtis Lazar off injured reserve. pic.twitter.com/DBcLabYhLw
In the 12 games Lazar has played this season, he recorded one goal and one assist. He will center the fourth line and replace Justin Dowling, who was called up from the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets to take Lazar’s place.
During the 2023-24 season, Lazar put up a career-high 25 points and finished the season with a plus-10 rating. He is known for his gritty play style, versatility, and exceptional penalty-killing abilities. Lazar is also well-versed in physicality, embodying the tougher style of play the Devils have embraced this season.
The Devils acquired Lazar from the Vancouver Canucks in March of 2023 in exchange for a fourth-round 2024 draft pick. Since then, he has become an important fourth-line veteran presence and a solid bottom-six forward for the Devils. Lazar is in the final year of his contract with New Jersey and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
