Flames acquire Lazar and Kostka from Ottawa for Jokipakka, second rounder

The Calgary Flames have made a deadline day move.

Reports are that the club has sent defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka and its second round selection in 2017 to the Ottawa Senators for forward Curtis Lazar and defenseman Mike Kostka.

Lazar, 22, is a product of Salmon Arm, BC. He’s in the third and final season of his entry level contract, which he signed after being the 17th overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft. He won a lot in junior, with a World Junior gold and a Memorial Cup, but that success hasn’t really translated to the pro level. He has just 36 points in 176 NHL games, some of which where he was hampered by mono, and the notion is probably that there’s still something there and he just needs a change of scenery or to be reunited with his old Ottawa coach, Dave Cameron. He’s a restricted free agent this summer.

Kostka, 31, is a right shot defenseman who’s spent this season with the Senators’ AHL affiliate in Binghamton. He’s a journeyman, playing 85 NHL games split between stops in Toronto, Chicago, Tampa Bay, the NY Rangers and Ottawa. He’s basically just an addition of some depth at the AHL level and given his age and lack of AHL production, he’s probably not somebody you want to use in the NHL. He’s an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Jokipakka, 25, came to Calgary in the Kris Russell trade at last year’s deadline. He hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, playing on the third pairing when he hasn’t been a healthy scratch. He’s a decent enough skater and passer, but really didn’t seem to fit in with the style of play that Glen Gulutzan wanted to play.

We have yet to receive confirmation on what year the second round selection involved in this trade would be; the Flames have all of their second rounders in future drafts. (Update: It’s 2017.)

Since Lazar is waiver eligible, the thought is he’ll be staying with the Flames while Kostka will be heading to the AHL’s Stockton Heat to finish out the season.