It has been seen before in sports where a player will sign or be traded to a team that they once played with at one point in their career. In the NHL, it has been seen before.
From Zdeno Chara returning to the New York Islanders, to Roberto Luongo returning to the Florida Panthers, to Scott Gomez returning to the New Jersey Devils and to even Ryan McDonagh returning to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This Summer, it could be possible to see NHL players return to a team that they once played for in their careers, but for the Ottawa Senators, they shouldn't consider a reunion with one former player who is an unrestricted free agent this free agency.
Senators shouldn't consider signing former 2013 first-round draft pick
At the 2013 NHL Draft, the Senators drafted Curtis Lazar with the 17th overall pick. The Senators had high hopes for Lazar with drafting him in the first round, but his Senators tenure was a tough one that didn't go as planned.
From 2014-2017, Lazar recorded 36 points in 176 games with a -10 rating in his Senators career. Lazar's tenure in Ottawa ended in March 2017 when the Senators traded him to the Calgary Flames.
Lazar has played for six teams in his NHL 11-year career. For the past three years, Lazar has spent his time with the Devils and is an unrestricted free agent this Summer. For the past three years, the 30-year-old forward has had a cap hit of $1 million.
In the 2023-24 season, Lazar recorded a 25-point season with a +10 rating. Lazar's 25 points was a career-high in a single season. For a bottom-six forward, Lazar was reliable for the Devils that season, but his play this past season season took a major hit.
In the 2024-25 season, Lazar recorded five points in 48 games with a -6 rating. With his struggling regular season, the Devils didn't insert Lazar into the lineup during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round.
Lazar wouldn't be much of an upgrade to the Senators bottom-six, particularly their fourth line if they were to sign him this free agency.
Both Nick Cousins and Adam Gaudette are unrestricted free agents on the Senators, and both of them provided solid play on the fourth line for the Senators in 2024-25.
Some teams could have interest in reunions this Summer with former players. One in particular could be Claude Giroux with the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the Senators shouldn't have any interest with a reunion with Lazar for this upcoming free agency.