Curtis Lazar, who’s missed most of Ottawa’s preseason while dealing with mononucleosis, has been cleared for contact and assigned to AHL Binghamton in a quest to get him up to game speed, the club announced on Tuesday.
Per the Ottawa Sun, GM Pierre Dorion said the demotion is “the best and fastest way” to get Lazar back into shape.
Lazar, 21, was diagnosed back on Sept. 23.
The 17th overall pick in 2013, Lazar scored six goals and 20 points in 76 games last year, all career highs. He averaged just under 14 minutes per night, and was one of the club’s more active faceoff men.
As history has shown, recovering from mono and trying to jump back into games can be a trying affair. Two seasons ago, Los Angeles’ Tyler Toffoli missed three weeks (six games) while recovering from the illness.
Lazar has been medically cleared to play. There is no timetable for his return back to Ottawa
— Brent Wallace (@localpodcaster) October 11, 2016