When Curtis Lazar left here for the Ottawa Senators, after helping the Edmonton Oil Kings win the 2014 Memorial Cup, all he had was his skates, his equipment bag and hope that he might have a long career as an NHLer.

Now, that he’s back in town with the Oilers after signing on July 2 as a free agent, tugging on his seventh NHL jersey and only 30, it’s not just him on this long and winding journey.

“I showed up in Edmonton as a teenager and I’m coming back with a wife and two kids (boys aged four and two) and a couple of dogs … and here we go,” said Lazar, from his off-season home in Kelowna, B.C.

Lazar was a terrific junior here, scoring 41 goals in 58 games on the Oil Kings’ ride to the CHL championship— the most recent WHL team to claim that title — but since the Sens took him midway through the first round of the 2013 entry draft then got him to the NHL before he was really ready, he’s morphed, through 527 games into a role-playing, right-shot centreman who kills penalties and wins lots of faceoffs.

His signing here, one-year at $775,000, is a nice story, of course.

Completing the circle from the Oil Kings to the Oilers, Lazar’s addition to the roster as a right-shot fourth-liner may be causing Noah Philp to pause because the just-signed ($775,000, two-way deal) farmhand is also in the picture for that role after his 15 Oilers games last season.

What Lazar has that Philp doesn’t is a lengthy NHL resume, including nearly 3,000 faceoffs.

He was 51.3 percent on his 400 draws last year, dragging around a bad knee that needed surgery, while the 27-year-old Philp was 39.2 per cent on 102 draws and knows that has to really improve if he wants that particular job.

Is Lazar tired of moving around, so much? Nah, part of the job description.

“Stability would be nice but I just don’t know if there’s such a thing in the hockey world if you’re in the bottom six but anywhere you are that’s close to home (B.C.) you cherish that with family and friends and more visits,” said Lazar, who’s been the ultimate travellin’ man, from Ottawa to Calgary, from Buffalo to Boston, from Vancouver to New Jersey, and now in Edmonton.

Certainly, he’s had an array of teammates and friends along the way.

“Connor (McDavid) was my roommate and linemate in the world junior one year… that was pretty cool. I was the guy coming down from the Senators to play, and I was telling him to relax and take it all in. Now, of course, he’s the best player in the world and I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted,” said Lazar.

“I know Pods (Vasily Podkolzin) from Vancouver… what an absolute workhorse that kid is. I love his hustle and his compete,” said Lazar, who said both McDavid and Podkolzin reached out after he signed.

“I’m familiar with a lot of guys in Edmonton, actually. I’ll probably forget a few. I played with Trent Frederic in Boston, (Brett) Kulak and (Andrew) Mangiapane were in Calgary when I was there. I went toe-to-toe against Leon (Draisaitl, in Prince Albert and Kelowna) in junior quite a bit, especially in the playoffs. I’ve known Darnell (Nurse) through a few Hockey Canada things… we actually fought in a Top Prospects Game in 2013.”

How did that go?

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” he laughed.

This is the third time Lazar has signed as a free agent in July, but it was more nervous than past years because of his knee injury with the Devils. He only played 48 games and had just two goals and five points after 25 points the year before.

“This one (free agency) was the most stressful, coming off a season where I couldn’t hang my hat on anything, really. A write-off (season) is probably a good way of putting it but I guess my reputation and being a right-shot centre helped my case and looking around the (NHL) landscape I thought the Oilers made a lot of sense for me. When they called, it was a no-brainer for me,” said Lazar.

But, the knee issue with Devils really compromised his skating.

“I think it was Game 10 or 11 where Radko Gudas got a piece of my knee (hit) and I needed some work on it. The surgery went well, the knee was strong and solid but they put some screws in there and I had some complications with those. The screws were being pushed out of my body and needed them removed when the season ended,” he said.

“You know the person I am, I’m not a complainer. If I can put my skates on, I’m playing if even not 100 per cent… but with that (knee) and a new coach (Sheldon Keefe) trying to earn his trust, it was the perfect storm against me.

“Now that’s behind me and I’m ready to prove people wrong, that it was just an injury-riddled season (Devils).”

Lazar has certainly paid attention to the Oilers playoff rides the last two years.

“I’m excited to get into the dressing room. From everything I’ve heard it’s a team that’s upset with not getting the job done and they’re motivated… I’m hoping to contribute,” he said.

NET PRESENCE

Just spitballing here, but if the Oilers are looking to add to goalie picture, maybe they should be on the phone to Detroit GM Steve Yzerman, seeing what it would cost to get ex Oil Kings’ tender Sebastian Cossa out of there. They wanted to draft the 6’6’ Cossa, 22, in 2021 but Wings’ made a deal to move ahead of them (No. 15 overall) and currently Cossa is buried in their muddled goalie scenario with addition of John Gibson (trade) and with Cam Talbot under contract for another year at $2.5M AAV.

Cossa probably won’t be making the Wings this season, unless there’s injuries, and he’ll have to go back to the minors for a fourth season.

“He needs more time in the American League and we’re counting on him to play well,” said Yzerman, who also has high-end college prospect Trey Augustine, 20, at Michigan State. He was USA’s world junior starter on two gold medal-winning teams and had a 19-7-4 record, 2.02 goals against average and .924 save percentage this past college season, his sophomore year.

Wings also have Czech signing G Michal Postava, 23, in the mix and he might play in the AHL with Cossa this season.

“He played extremely well in the Czech League,” said Yzerman, talking to Detroit writers.

This ‘n that

While the San Jose Sharks signed John Klingberg to that one-year $4 million deal, you can bet they will dangling the former Oilers D at next March’s trade deadline to a Cup contender.

Jesse Puljujarvi’s bumpy/injury riddled NHL road looks like it may be over. He’s going to be playing for Geneve-Servette in Switzerland this upcoming season after finishing with Charlotte Checkers, Florida’s AHL affiliate this spring.

New Oilers forward Andrew Mangiapane has chosen jersey number 88. Only Brandon Davidson and Robbie Schremp have ever worn that Oilers number before. Frederic is changing from 21 to 10 with Derek Ryan likely retiring.

Phil Kemp, the Oilers assistant captain in Bakersfield, wisely chose to sign a two-year UFA deal with Pittsburgh because the defenceman’s window to ever making Oilers had been slammed shut for several years. He’s very competitive but his boots were a little slow for the Oilers and when they chose to claim the injured Alec Regula off waivers from Boston last December that spelled the end of Kemp in organization.

Kemp will likely start the season in Wilkes-Barre, Pens AHL farm club for $350,000 guaranteed.

Local product Daniel Carr, 33, has left Lugano in the Swiss League after four years there to sign a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville affiliate) in the AHL.

Ex-Oilers farmhand left-shot D Ben Gleason, traded to the Flyers for the right-shot Ronnie Attard last season, signed a free-agent deal with Minnesota.

Local product Trey-Fix Wolansky, one of AHL’s best point-producers the last several years playing for Columbus’s farm team, signed with the New York Rangers.

Ex-Oilers farmhand Lane Pederson signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Two of Oil Kings’ core players — defenceman Ethan MacKenzie and winger Lukas Sawchyn, were at development camps with Minnesota and Florida. Both kids went through the draft last month, not selected.

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