Enough time to settle into unfamiliar surroundings, perhaps, but certainly not enough of a look-see to carve out any sort of territorial niche.
Management had seen enough, however, to sign him to a one-year contract extension, to protect him in the Las Vegas expansion draft.
"Honestly,'' Lazar says now, "I'm happy how it played out last year, not getting thrown into the fire right away. Expectations are something that've come back to haunt me in my career so far.
"Obviously things didn't work out in Ottawa.
"Coming here, finding a home, getting used to the city, my teammates and the systems, has helped me relax; allowed me to step back, rediscover my game, my strengths, my passion.
"Everything I did as a Flame last year set me up for this season."
Consider, then, his two-month indoctrination into All Things Flame as crib notes for the big exam this term.
Headmaster Brad Treliving's expecting a good grade.
"We bought low on him,'' says the GM. "That's why you have a book of business on these people.
"He went through a difficult training camp last year with the mono, that's tough to recover from, so to me he was chasing it all season.
"The message to him this year is: Fresh start. I don't care what happened last year, or last month for that matter. Get rid of all the baggage. Play to your strengths. Great speed. Competitive kid. High-character kid.
"We'll find a spot for you but you've got to find a way to grab hold of it.
"This is a real opportunity for Curtis. He understands that. He's healthy. In phenomenal condition. And he's really excited. This is sort of a rebirth for him. Where he lines up and plays? That's for the coaches to figure out.
"I think at the end of the day when you can skate like he can, when you've got character like he does, well, we'll bet on that.
"Bet on that and see where it takes us."