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Originally Posted by MissTeeks
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Great to see them both getting invested in the community! This summer has sure been more fun than the uncertainty we had at this time last year.
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Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
Lazar will be on the team, and it is only a question of how high is upside is.
I think his floor is that of a really good energy player that will produce about 25-30 pts. He is really fast, and he has a beauty of a non-stop motor. Kid is always moving. He also likes to play physical. Tenacious on the forecheck. I think moving Bouma allows for Lazar to have a spot on the team (regardless of wing - they will find a way to put him into the lineup). I also think it is an upgrade right off the bat on Bouma (though let's see how much off the bat).
When he was drafted, I don't recall his ceiling being that of a #1 center. He was most likely going to be a #2 or possibly a #3 center. He was labeled as a 'can't miss' pick due to his work ethic, speed, motor, physicality, scoring ability and IQ.
His 3 points in 4 games is probably not to be expected, but what is also not to be expected is how lousy he did in Ottawa. Maybe Ottawa rushed him. Maybe he then got buried somewhat. There is a reason why Burke went out of his way to say this kid is going to play in Calgary for the next 10 years. You can definitely see his character. I think a lot of people will start noticing his other qualities as well.
I have said he is 'Mini-Ferland' in the way he skates and hits, and has scoring ability. I guess I should change it somewhat. Cral has a good point about him being like Conroy. I am looking at him as a genetic mutation grown from the spit of Conroy, Ranheim and Ferland. Great character and IQ even if not the most skilled (Conroy), speed and motor (Ranheim), and has that ability to catch guys almost at will along the boards (Ferland.. just not as hard-hitting).
He really is so much like Conroy though. I didn't catch it until Cral mentioned it, but I also feel much like Conroy wasn't an offensively gifted individual, his IQ and dedication allowed him to put together very, very good seasons. Hopefully it will be the same for Lazar.
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I'd be thrilled if he was the next Conroy, but I would still be happy if turned into a high-end 3C.