Oilers 2025-26 Report Cards: Curtis Lazar

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Adam Henrique, and now we turn our attention to Curtis Lazar.

The Oilers signed Lazar to a one-year contract last offseason with a $775,000 cap hit, making him an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1. He was a very solid depth signing on a league minimum contract. He wasn’t brought in to be an everyday player, but he still found a role on this team. He probably played more than he should have, but injuries forced him into the lineup. Let’s take a deeper look at his season.

Lazar’s 2025-26 Performance

Lazar played 45 games this season, recording four goals and six points with a minus-3 rating. He scored in his first game as an Oiler, lighting the lamp against his former team, the New Jersey Devils. The British Columbia native didn’t play much, only averaging 8:55 per game. Despite his limited ice time and games played, he still scored more goals than Henrique and Mattias Janmark while scoring the same as Trent Frederic in 29 fewer games. He was more impactful than most of the bottom six.

He started 101 shifts in the defensive zone and only 46 in the offensive zone. The 2013 first-round pick was also fifth on the team in hits with 95. He averaged 14.20 hits per 60 minutes, which was more than the four players ahead of him.

Like most of the team, the 31-year-old wasn’t great in the playoffs. He was held pointless in five games with a minus-1 rating, averaging 7:56 per game. Other than Henrique, who got hurt early in Game 1, Lazar had the least ice time on the team. Despite his limited playing time, he still drew three penalties and had 12 hits. He also had one takeaway and two giveaways. He wasn’t overly noticeable, but how can he make a legitimate impact in so few minutes?

The right-shot centre played 24:54 on the penalty kill in the regular season but struggled mightily. He was on the ice for six goals against, which averages to a goal every two power plays. He was also on the ice for 44 scoring chances against, 19 high-danger chances, and 37 shots. In the playoffs, he played just 57 seconds shorthanded but was still on the ice for a goal against and allowed three shots. This was the one area in which he needed improvement.

Lazar excelled in the faceoff circle. In the regular season at 5-on-5, he won 138 draws and lost 78 for a 63.89 faceoff percentage. Those are great numbers, and he led the team in that category. However, that didn’t translate to the postseason. He only won 13 faceoffs and lost 17 for a 43.33 playoff faceoff percentage.

His advanced stats weren’t great, which is understandable considering how much time he spent in the defensive zone. When he was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Oilers had just 47.28 percent of the shots, 44 percent of the goals, and 47.04 percent of the scoring chances. Unfortunately, those numbers were even worse in the playoffs. The Oilers had 41.94 percent of the shots, 38.71 percent of the scoring chances, and 33.33 percent of the high-danger scoring chances when he was on the ice. He was a reliable fourth-line centre who was trusted defensively, despite his underwhelming metrics.

Overall Grade

Lazar had an effective season given his salary, his role, and his ice time. He was a solid depth piece and could be re-signed at a similar cap hit. However, if he gets brought back, it should be as the 13th forward. Josh Samanski should be the permanent fourth-line centre. If there are injuries, Lazar would be a good choice to step in and do a solid job in limited minutes. Organizational depth is always a good thing, especially at centre.

With that said, he deserves a C- for this season. He was completely adequate and did his job. He provided energy in the bottom six and was the prototypical role player. He won important faceoffs and killed penalties. The Oilers got what they hoped for when they brought him in.

Do you agree with Lazar’s grade? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player report cards throughout the offseason.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.