The Ottawa Senators have traded forward Curtis Lazar and Mike Kostka to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a second-round draft pick and Jyrki Jokipakka, per Darren Dreger and Bruce Garrioch. Lazar had asked for a trade from the Senators organization in search of a new start, and the Flames took the opportunity to add yet another young piece to their forward group.
The #Sens got a second and Jyrki Jokipakka for Curtis Lazar.
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) March 1, 2017
In Lazar’s first season in the NHL, he scored six goals and 15 points in 67 games. He followed up his second season with a 76-game campaign, scoring six goals and 20 points. This season after fighting with a bout of Mono, Lazar has played with the Binghamton Senators, as well as the Ottawa Senators. In the AHL, he’s scored three goals and four points in 13 games. At the NHL level, he’s recorded just one assist in 33 games to go along with a minus-10 rating.
Meeting the Price
For the Senators, the asking price was believed to be a first-round draft pick despite being offered a second-round pick for Lazar ahead of the deadline. Jokipakka has played in 38 games this season on the Flames blueline and has scored one goal and six points with a minus-3 rating. A former seventh-round draft choice, Jokipakka could step into the Senators lineup and ease the sting of losing Lazar, a former first-round draft choice who is still only 22-years-old. While the Flames didn’t have to pay a first-round draft pick, they were able to pry Lazar away from the Senators with a second-round pick and a prospect they acquired just one year ago in the deal that sent Kris Russell to the Dallas Stars.
Mike Kostka is also in the deal, At 31-years-old, Kostka has played just 85 games at the NHL level in his career, scoring four goals and 21 points. Kostka appears to be more of a depth addition in this deal, and it’s unclear if he’ll play with the Flames or remain in the AHL.
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