The question surrounding Curtis Lazar potentially joining Team Canada’s world junior team was answered Thursday, as Ottawa agreed to loan the forward to Team Canada.
The move comes less than a week after Curtis Lazar’s 1st NHL goal, a mark that took 26 games to complete. Lazar is set to make his 2nd straight appearance on Team Canada and may even be a candidate to captain the team. Lazar’s tournament went well last season, where Team Canada did not have a good tournament.. but Lazar did.
As an early ’95 birth, this is Lazar’s last chance of eligibility for the World Juniors and he gets a chance to bring Canada the gold on home soil this time around. At last years tournament Lazar was a point-per-game player, recording 3 goals and 4 assists in 7 games played.
Lazar, in being a natural centre will mean another cut on Team Canada. Bob Mckenzie shared his thoughts as to Canada’s potential roster, claiming there to be around 7 “locks” on the team. Add Lazar to the pile and that number is likely at 8.
IMO, 7 locks up front: Domi-Reinhart-Duclair; Fabbri-McDavid-Virtanen; Petan. That leaves 1 spot at C, 2 at LW and 2 RW plus 13th F.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) December 14, 2014
Lazar’s addition to the team may come costly for another Senator prospect, Nick Paul.
Nick Paul a Hopeful
Nick Paul is a big man, and that may be what gets him on this team. Paul, at nearly 6foot4 is a strong winger/centerman with goal scoring power. In 27 games with North Bay this season, Paul has recorded an impressive 18 goals and 15 assists. The marker leads North Bay and made Canada take a second look after he impressed in an off-season camp.
CTV News had a nice report on Paul and his chances of making Team Canada. Paul has become an interesting prospect since joining Ottawa in the Jason Spezza trade. This is Paul’s last season in the CHL, where the AHL is the next step up for the young forward.
Nothing is a given at this point, and Nick Paul will fight for the last few remaining spots on Team Canada.
If Paul and Lazar were both to make the team, it would be the first time since Alexandre Daigle and Wade Redden in 1995 that two Ottawa Senators represented Team Canada.