Prospect Info: #113 Amadeus Lombardi, 2022 Draft

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

I can see Veleno as the type of guy who kinda pops at like age 27 and becomes a player with some actual value. A classic late-bloomer. But right now he's damn near worthless. He's a warm body and only separates himself from the dozen quad-A players on this roster because he's young and he's an investment the organization made (and a center, I guess). He's got a bit more rope. Similar to Zadina. And despite Zadina getting harped on waaaaaay more around here (and I get it, he's a 6th, vs Veleno as a 30th), Veleno is also a pretty big disappointment, given how he was thought of when he was drafted (our next 2C!).

My expectation of Veleno at this point is to ride out his Detroit career as a 4C who gets traded or signs elsewhere once he gets to UFA.

Trade him now while he's got some upside.

Zadina as well.

Their value isn't going up.

 

[norrisnick]

Trade him now while he's got some upside.

Zadina as well.

Their value isn't going up.

Well, it certainly can't go down. So may as well keep them.

Completely pointless to give them away if there is even a miniscule shot of them doing anything.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Well, it certainly can't go down. So may as well keep them.

Completely pointless to give them away if there is even a miniscule shot of them doing anything.

Trade them, not give them away.

 

[norrisnick]

Trade them, not give them away.

They have no value. Getting a 6th or 7th or someone else's Veleno is pointless.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

They have no value. Getting a 6th or 7th or someone else's Veleno is pointless.

I disagree. At this age, they do. They have RFA status.

And they won't cost much to re-sign, if they're traded.(Zadina contract maybe different)

Point is, they are both plug and play players with upside that out weighs their contracts.

Teams trade for those guys.

 

[norrisnick]

I disagree. At this age, they do. They have RFA status.

And they won't cost much to re-sign, if they're traded.(Zadina contract maybe different)

Point is, they are both plug and play players with upside that out weighs their contracts.

Teams trade for those guys.

For 4ths or 5ths or worse. I'd rather just keep the player. We need warm bodies like everyone else. Other teams' plugs aren't going to be any better than ours.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

I'm hoping both get more than that. Team control and cheap NHLers help cap teams.

You can sign warm bodies, Detroit has Luff up right now.

4ths or 5ths are assets.


EDIT: If you'd like to continue, could we take this conversation out of this thread, and move it to a trade thread?

 

[Indrid Cold]

No one thinks this kid has NHL upside after the season he had? I know he's an over ager, but he might also be a late developer.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

No one thinks this kid has NHL upside after the season he had? I know he's an over ager, but he might also be a late developer.

I think the Red Wings do, considering he's been signed for a while now.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

I think a lot of people on this board do, myself included.

Ready to see what he can do at the next level.

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

 

[Hen Kolland]

No one thinks this kid has NHL upside after the season he had? I know he's an over ager, but he might also be a late developer.

NHL upside and immediate NHL readiness are two extremely different things.

Veleno first made the NHL full time at 22. Berggren just made the NHL full time at 22. Mazur just turned pro after 2 years of collegiate hockey and is 21, and looks like he's probably more than likely to be in Grand Rapids, but has the best chance of any forward not named Kasper to make the NHL.

Lombardi is 19 going on 20 with only 2 seasons in the OHL under his belt because of the pandemic. Flint says he's 5'11 170, so still a bit underdeveloped. He's not played internationally, so he's truly only experienced the flawed structure that is OHL branded hockey.

Just to illustrate a timeline that is more common, especially for a 4th round overager. It shouldn't come as a shock if he ends up spending the next two years in Grand Rapids...the first for exposure, the second for dominance (prove he's ready).

He might end up popping in a year, but this is a guy that I think you have to hold him back intentionally for the sake of his development. He definitely needs to get his feet wet professionally at this point, and GR would be great for that because you can't throw him into the NHL with his game as is.

Strength
Pro game, specifically the talent jump of his competition
Defense

These things have the potential to cause a significant amount of shellshock for Lombardi.

 

[Holden Caufield]

No one thinks this kid has NHL upside after the season he had? I know he's an over ager, but he might also be a late developer.

He was passed over on his first draft eligible season.

But just to be clear, he is not an over aged junior player.
This was his ‘19 yo’ season. Same as Othmann and F. Pinelli.

Interesting he will probably get a look with the Griffs. Too bad they aren’t playoff bound.

 

[ricky0034]

such a shame we won't get to see a Grand Rapids Playoff run with all of Edvinsson,Wallinder,Kasper,Lombardi,Soderblom,Johansson,Mazur

 

[Mister Ed]

such a shame we won't get to see a Grand Rapids Playoff run with all of Edvinsson,Wallinder,Kasper,Lombardi,Soderblom,Johansson,Mazur

I'm sure some of them will be there next year, there has to be some solace in that, right?

The others will be busy with a Red Wings playoff run!

 

[GoBoltz56]

He was passed over on his first draft eligible season.

But just to be clear, he is not an over aged junior player.
This was his ‘19 yo’ season. Same as Othmann and F. Pinelli.

Interesting he will probably get a look with the Griffs. Too bad they aren’t playoff bound.

It's technically his 20 year old season, but yes, not an overager.

 

[Kingpin794]

It's technically his 20 year old season, but yes, not an overager.

No it’s still his “19” year old season. He’s an 03. 02’s are the “20” year old season.

 

[sepster]

At least we know who hurt you and when, but that doesn't make it Zadina's fault. He's a middle 6 guy. And paid appropriately.

Just because you keep saying this doesn't make it true.

 

[Detroit Knights]

No it’s still his “19” year old season. He’s an 03. 02’s are the “20” year old season.

it is semantics, but when you are born that is your first year. when you are 1 year and 1 day old, that is your second year. So if he is already 19 years old + days, he is technically in his 20 year old season.

but i digress.

I don't think he makes the nhl next year, because of what someone before said about only being exposed to OHL talent. That makes a lot of sense and I can tamper down my enthusiasm now. Hopefully, he not only makes the AHL top 6 lines, but he dominates like berggren's last AHL season and he gets to be first call up the year next.

 

[norrisnick]

Just because you keep saying this doesn't make it true.

He's getting 3rd line minutes playing nice safe low-event hockey as is asked from him. His brief forays on PP2 is what slots him middle 6, IMO. If you want to get more specific and call him a 3rd liner or bottom 6, whatever. He's cheap as shit and can play up and down the lineup without hurting the team defensively. That's more than can be said about guys putting up better offense than him.

They should work him into the PK shuffle like they did in preseason. He's really good at getting sticks in passing lanes. And gives him something tangible to do each game to help keep him engaged.

 

[Holden Caufield]

It's technically his 20 year old season, but yes, not an overager.

Your age on December 31st of the hockey season is what age season you are in for Canadian major junior hockey.

 

[Kingpin794]

it is semantics, but when you are born that is your first year. when you are 1 year and 1 day old, that is your second year. So if he is already 19 years old + days, he is technically in his 20 year old season.

but i digress.

I don't think he makes the nhl next year, because of what someone before said about only being exposed to OHL talent. That makes a lot of sense and I can tamper down my enthusiasm now. Hopefully, he not only makes the AHL top 6 lines, but he dominates like berggren's last AHL season and he gets to be first call up the year next.

You’re right it’s semantics but every single 03, whether they were born on 1/1 or 12/31 is colloquially understood to be in their 19 year old season. That’s just the nomenclature used in junior hockey.

As far as expectations, yeah I agree he’s not making the Wings. Would love to see him with Mazur and Hanas next season. If he could put up 40/45 pts in the AHL next year, I’d consider that outstanding. He’s not going to be able to just out skate every one right away so there will be an adjustment period but he’s too skilled not to have an impact eventually. Just hope they get a new coaching staff in that’s more receptive to creative players like him.

 

[sepster]

He's getting 3rd line minutes playing nice safe low-event hockey as is asked from him. His brief forays on PP2 is what slots him middle 6, IMO. If you want to get more specific and call him a 3rd liner or bottom 6, whatever. He's cheap as shit and can play up and down the lineup without hurting the team defensively. That's more than can be said about guys putting up better offense than him.

They should work him into the PK shuffle like they did in preseason. He's really good at getting sticks in passing lanes. And gives him something tangible to do each game to help keep him engaged.

You're describing a player that takes up space. He doesn't produce positive results, he limits the negative results, and he is taken out of the lineup whenever there is a slightly better warm body available. That's not indicative of a middle 6 player. That's indicative of a team, due to injury and circumstance, with very few options, and probably to a little extent extending an opportunity to eek out some value from a player that has a lot of time and resources sent his way.

As to your second point, for as many pucks as he happens to get in front of, he even more often is a space cadet that loses his defensive assignments in traffic or off the rush. The notion that Zadina is a Maltby just waiting to be deployed properly is sheer fantasy.

 

[norrisnick]

You're describing a player that takes up space. He doesn't produce positive results, he limits the negative results, and he is taken out of the lineup whenever there is a slightly better warm body available. That's not indicative of a middle 6 player. That's indicative of a team, due to injury and circumstance, with very few options.

As to your second point, for as many pucks as he happens to get in front of, he even more often is a space cadet that loses his defensive assignments in traffic or off the rush. The notion that Zadina is a Maltby just waiting to be deployed properly is sheer fantasy.

Sometimes not hurting the team for a shift is the best option. Pucks don't go into the net when Zadina is on the ice, either way, at a rate lower than anyone else on the team (minus Kasper's single game).

If Zadina is a space cadet on D assignments we've got a team full of Admiral Akbars out there... Losing your man is a specialty on this team.

 

[sepster]

Sometimes not hurting the team for a shift is the best option. Pucks don't go into the net when Zadina is on the ice, either way, at a rate lower than anyone else on the team (minus Kasper's single game).

If Zadina is a space cadet on D assignments we've got a team full of Admiral Akbars out there... Losing your man is a specialty on this team.

You're absolutely right! That's why the Wings are a bottom-10 team. They have a bunch of players (Erne, Osterle, Zadina Luff, Hirose, etc) that are absolutely nothing players that are only around the NHL because there are shit teams for them to be on.

The goal for the organization is to filter these players out and replace them with actual difference makers as prospects and the salary cap situation allows. Hopefully, Lombardi, Mazur, Kasper, and more are those players that can help.