Quote:
Originally Posted by Resolute 14
Lazar has shown no offensive ability, whatsoever, in four seasons and 250 games. I think it's probably better to accept that no, he doesn't have untapped potential. He's a fourth liner that could develop into a defensive and penalty killing specialist.
As far as Hathaway vs. Lazar goes, which of the two you keep or prefer comes down to what you value more: speed or grit. Ideally, it would be nice to replace both with someone who has both.
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Lazar's never gonna score many points, but he's still a much better player than Hathaway. His hockey IQ is significantly better, especially in his own zone, and he's a lot more reliable with the puck in transition. Hathaway's a better hitter and grittier, sure, but he turns the puck over by failing to receive a pass or mis-reading a breakout play far more often than Lazar.
I'm not expecting any untapped offensive potential to suddenly appear, but you can build a reliable, responsible energy line around guys like Lazar, whereas Hathaway has a lot of shifts that have me holding my breath any time the puck is on his side of the ice.
