Today, let’s take a look at two pending unrestricted free agents from the bottom six, Curtis Lazar and Justin Dowling. Both are fourth line/fringe NHLers on cheap deals. There is most likely not a need for both to return, but with the Devils coming close to the salary cap, it might be financially reasonable to bring one back. Let’s take a look.
Hello and welcome to another free agent profile today at All About the Jersey! Today, we are going to take a look at two bottom six forwards who are set to become unrestricted free agents this offseason, Curtis Lazar and Justin Dowling. Both of them are finishing up shorter-term, and relatively inexpensive contracts with the Devils. There have been some contributions from them, mainly from Lazar in 2023-24, but overall, neither is a player that the team should feel compelled to keep. However, both of them come cheaply, and if Tom Fitzgerald needs to fill out the roster on a tight budget, it is not impossible that at least one of the two remains. Let’s dive in.
Who Are Curtis Lazar and Justin Dowling
Lazar and Dowling are both forwards who are over 30. Justin Dowling is 34, and Lazar is 30. Both have made a living, when in the NHL, playing in a bottom six role. Lazar has been the more stable, consistent pro of the two, although it is admittedly a low bar. He was initially drafted in the first round, #17 overall, by Ottawa back in 2013. He was dominant in the WHL from 2012-2014 for the Brandon Wheat Kings, with 137 points in the regular season and another 33 in the playoffs across those two seasons. This led to him debuting in Ottawa for the 2014-15 season, where he produced 15 points in 67 games. That was followed up with 20 points in 76 games the following year, and it was starting to look like he might not generate the same production at the pro level as he did in junior hockey. This led to him being traded to Calgary midway through the 2016-17 season. He would play one full season in Calgary in 2017-18, with 12 points in 65 games. Calgary would mostly relegate him to the AHL the following season, and Lazar would end his tenure there in 2019 at a low point in his career.
Buffalo would take a chance on him at that point, and he would play for a season and a half there, mostly playing in the NHL. He would end up producing 19 points in 71 games across two seasons for Buffalo, with some time in the AHL as well, before being traded to Boston during the 2020-21 season. He would stay there through the 2021-22 season and would not be sent to the AHL the entire time, which was good for him, considering both Buffalo and Calgary had sent him down at times. However, his production was no better in Boston than it was elsewhere, but by this point, he had cemented himself as a bottom six player, and his production was not unexpected. He generated 20 points for Boston across 87 games of action before once again hitting free agency in 2022. This time, he would sign a three-year deal worth $3 million total with Vancouver. However, he would only end up playing in 45 games for them before being dealt to the Devils in March of 2023 for a fourth-round pick.
While Lazar did spend some time in the AHL across his pro career, he has spent the majority of it in the NHL. The same cannot be said for Justin Dowling. At 34 years old, Dowling was eligible for the draft after the 2007-08 season, but went undrafted. It made sense, as he only had one full season in junior hockey at that time, and had only produced 28 points in 71 games for the Swift Current Broncos in his draft-eligible season. He would perform much better in the three subsequent seasons he played for Swift Current, producing over a point per game in the two seasons from 2009-2011. He would eventually transition to the ECHL, where he played for parts of two seasons. He would dominate there for the Idaho Steelheads in 2012-13, making an all-star game, before finally making his AHL debut for Dallas’ affiliate, the Texas Stars.
He would stay in the AHL for several seasons, being a quality player for Texas, if not outstanding, and would even become an assistant captain for the team in 2015-16. He would finally make his NHL debut for Dallas in 2016-17, playing in 9 games for the team. He would not see NHL action again until 2018-19, playing in 11 games that year. Then, finally, he would transition into more of an NHL role for Dallas. In the Covid-shortened 2019-20 season, he would play in 29 games in the NHL versus only 3 in the AHL, and the following season, 2020-21, he saw only NHL action, playing in 27 games for Dallas.
Dowling would hit free agency in 2021, with Dallas finally moving on. Vancouver would give him a chance, signing him to a two year deal worth $1.3 million total. However, across those two seasons for Vancouver, he would only play in 22 NHL games versus 71 in the AHL. He was still mostly an AHL player, or like a quad-A player in baseball terms. Then, in 2023, Tom Fitzgerald would sign him to NJ.
What Have Lazar and Dowling Done as Devils?
Between the two, Lazar has been the more productive player for the Devils while here. Here was his player card from JFresh when he was traded to the team:
Lazar’s best season as a pro was in 2023-24, when he generated 25 points in 71 games for the Devils while carving out a strong niche for himself as a bottom 6 center. He was quality on faceoffs that year, over 50%, and played his role well. Sadly, it was the only season out of the 2.5 years he was here for that he was worthwhile. After being traded to NJ from Vancouver, he only played in 4 regular season games, not producing a point. He did play in 6 playoff games and scored one goal, but overall, he was not incredibly useful at that point. And this year, he only played in 48 games for NJ, generating only 5 points total, before his season ended early due to injury. But he did have a strong 2023-24 where he was worth every bit of the $1 million they paid him.
Dowling signed for two seasons here in New Jersey (no player cards were posted to X/Twitter when he was signed, which goes to show you what people thought of the significance of it), but only played in 2 games in New Jersey in 2023-24. He was mostly relegated to Utica and the AHL that year. But this past season, he did carve a niche for himself on the fourth line. He played in 52 games for New Jersey versus only 7 for Utica, and played in all 5 games in the playoffs. He ended with 7 points total across the regular season and playoffs for the Devils, so he really showcased why he is more of an AHL player.
What Can We Expect From Them Moving Forward?
The easy answer might be “not much”, but that is also simple and not particularly nice, so let’s take a little bit of a deeper dive into it. The good news is that Lazar is still mostly in his prime at 30 years old, so the production can still be there for a few seasons yet. That production has never been high in the NHL, with his best season ending at 25 points. But still, he could have a few years left of 15-25 points a season in the right role. He also is a decent faceoff man, or at least was in 2023-24 with the Devils, so the potential for that is there for a team that needs a bottom six center. He can handle himself defensively, with some strong even strength defensive numbers as a checking line center, and he will chip in some points now and then. For a team on a tight budget, you can do worse for around a million a year.
Dowling, sadly, brings even less to the table. With him, you are mostly signing an AHL veteran who can be called up to spot start on the fourth line when injuries begin to pile up. If you are bringing him on to be a full-time NHL player, your team is most likely in a bad spot, either with a ton of injuries or just no prospects you like who have potential. At 34 years old, Father Time is knocking on the door too, so his production will soon begin to fall even further below where it is now. At best, he is a good veteran presence for an AHL team, but you should not be expecting more beyond that.
Current Comparables and What the Devils Might Do
For Dowling, he will just be hoping he can net any sort of contract at all. He may be forced into retirement if no one signs him, and that is a legitimate possibility. He is 34 years old and is not getting any younger. Considering he has mostly been a career AHLer, with only short stints in the NHL, if anyone did sign him, it would be to a two-way deal where he would likely spend the majority of his time in the AHL anyway. The league minimum salary is the best he can hope for, and he would certainly take it. I could honestly see a team bringing him in on a training camp tryout. Whether that is the Devils or not, who knows, but I would not be against giving him a tryout and seeing what he does in training camp. I doubt there is much value beyond that, though.
For Lazar, he has some more runway left, and he will most likely net himself a new contract somewhere. At 30 years old, he is not young anymore, but he is still mostly in his prime, and again, his best season in the league was recently in 2023-24. Knowing that, he could garner some interest, and perhaps from Tom Fitzgerald. Knowing that he had carved out a spot here for himself for a solid season and a half, he could be an inexpensive option to bring back and help to fill out a bottom six that was seriously depleted at the end of the year. Considering what he did on the Devils, maybe he could get himself a tiny raise on his last deal, but I don’t see him getting too much beyond the current $1 million per year he got on the deal that is expiring.
If I were to guess what Fitzgerald does, I think he lets Dowling walk. He is too old, and there are too many prospects with potential in this system to make it worth bringing him back. I would certainly scratch my head if he got anything beyond a training camp tryout. Lazar, however, I would think has a decent shot at a new deal. He played his best hockey here in NJ and was not bad as a fourth line center. I would be ok with him getting a one or two-year deal from the Devils with an AAV of around $1 million a year. If he can stay healthy, he can be useful in that role, as he has proven in his time here. He is also inexpensive, and since the Devils are tight on the cap, he would be an inexpensive option to fill out the bottom six.
Conclusion and Your Thoughts
There you have it! These two are not particularly sexy or exciting free agent prospects, so there is not a ton to digest. Dowling is a career AHLer who can break into the NHL at times, but at his age, the Devils should be looking elsewhere to fill out rosters in the organization. Lazar was at his very best in the NHL when playing for the Devils, so there is potential he can be brought back. It would be as a fourth liner on a short, cheap deal. But I think a deal like that could work for both sides, and I would not be shocked if that ended up happening. However, I would also not be surprised if he ends up somewhere else. He is far from someone who must be kept, and if Fitzgerald can fill that role with someone else he likes more, that works just as well. Lazar has very limited upside, so if Fitzgerald wants to go with someone younger who has more potential for growth, that would work just as well.
What do you think? How do you feel about Lazar and Dowling, and what do you think about potentially bringing either of them back? Do you think either of them can find a role here moving forward? Please leave your comments below, and thanks for reading!