Prospect Info: Brad Lambert, 30th Overall, 2022 NHL Draft

[Jukurit]

Success in European Pro Leagues (vs men) as teenagers is rare. Be it the KHL, SHL or Liiga. Here is how other 2022 First Round selections did vs men in pro leagues over the winter.

Slafkovsky (1st overall):
Liiga - 31GP - 5G, 5A - 10pts

Kasper (8th overall)
SHL - 46GP - 7G, 4A - 11pts

Lekkerimaki - (15th overall)
SHL - 26GP - 7G, 2A - 9pts

Ostlund (16th overall)
SHL - 11GP - 0G, 0A - 0 pts

Kemell (17th overall)
Liiga - 39GP - 15G, 8A - 23pts

Ohgren (19th overall)
SHL - 25GP, 1G, 1A - 2pts

Yurov (22nd overall)
KHL - 21GP, 0G, 0A - 0 pts
*very low ice time

Bystedt (27th overall)
SHL - 15 GP, 1G, 1A - 2pts

Lambert (30th overall)
Liiga - 49GP - 4G, 6A - 10pts

Aside from Kemell (who had a crazy hot start), I don't see any teenagers from this draft class tearing up their pro leagues. Lambert is just getting ripped because more was expected from him than the others - but he had similar production to Kasper who's considered a draft darling.

The flaw with this argument is that SHL and KHL are much better leagues than Liiga.
Also, Slafkovsky has been criticized for his lack of production in Liiga, but his production and play with Slovak NT is the thing that got him drafted #1 overall, I think.

Would make more sense to compare Lambert's production to other draft year Liiga prospects.
Here's a handy Points/60 comparison to other Liiga prospects (since 2015):

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Ouch.

 

[boydkc]

His skating does seem like it is not far off from Ehlers at all. But... Ehlers was a top 10 pick with arguably a top 5 statistical profile in his class.

If he can put up some monster stats in the Dub then we can start to get excited.

To match Ehlers he would have to be pushing two pts/game this coming season (!)

In the WHL playing centre he will dominate and get more than 2 points per game for easily. I would rather see him on the Moose getting 2 points per game on the wing.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

"Every pick needs to be made as well as you can, with the information that you have."
you are claiming the jets made a bad pick off the information you have, as if the jets don't have far more information on the player then you will ever have

Yes, that is exactly what I am doing.
Again, am I not allowed to disagree with Jets decisions? They always have more information than I do.

They stuck with Maurice for going on 9 years. They had more information than I did there too, but we both saw the same results.

They traded up to get Stanley, again with more information than I had.

They are not always right. I am not always wrong.

But even if I was ALWAYS wrong, I would still be entitled to my opinions.

Disagree with me all you like. Tear me apart with facts. Throw opposing opinions at me. But you are suggesting that I just always accept whatever TNSE does as being the best thing possible. Shut this site down. Nothing to discuss.

 

[Romang67]

The flaw with this argument is that SHL and KHL are much better leagues than Liiga.
Also, Slafkovsky has been criticized for his lack of production in Liiga, but his production and play with Slovak NT is the thing that got him drafted #1 overall, I think.

Would make more sense to compare Lambert's production to other draft year Liiga prospects.
Here's a handy Points/60 comparison to other Liiga prospects (since 2015):

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Ouch.

Good to see a list that so clearly shows that high P/60 production seems to translate poorly or not at all to immediate or long term NHL success.

 

[Daximus]

The flaw with this argument is that SHL and KHL are much better leagues than Liiga.
Also, Slafkovsky has been criticized for his lack of production in Liiga, but his production and play with Slovak NT is the thing that got him drafted #1 overall, I think.

Would make more sense to compare Lambert's production to other draft year Liiga prospects.
Here's a handy Points/60 comparison to other Liiga prospects (since 2015):

Kakko 2.79
Laine 2.49
Lundell 2.41
Puljujärvi 2.23
Kemell 2.18
Aho 2.12
Kotkaniemi 1.96
Rantanen 1.85
Kupari 1.78
Slafkovsky 1.36
Lambert 0.86

Ouch.

What I find interesting is if the WJC hadn't been cancelled. And Lambert kept up his production we likely had no shot at getting him at 30.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I hope they do better than average but I am expecting about average. I love the draft, I love hope, not trying to be a buzz kill just keeping it real with the odds. To be clear 1 in 5 means some players do work out and I am not dismissing the slot. Who was your favourite at #30?

I wanted Luneau myself, though Chesley was apparently higher rated. Maybe he was better defensively, in which case I would have been happier with him.

But I had Lambert on a do not touch list. Too many red flags. That opinion seemed to be widely shared here until we drafted him. Now it is forgotten just because he is now ours.

Well, I will cheer for him and hope he excels now that we have him. That doesn't mean I will forget the negatives.

Edit: I agree it is best to expect averages to prevail. It was the latest 1st rd pick we have had. Not all 1st rd picks are equal. Not all draft classes are equal either. We'll know where this one rates in about 5 years.

 

[Jukurit]

What I find interesting is if the WJC hadn't been cancelled. And Lambert kept up his production we likely had no shot at getting him at 30.

Probably yes. Slafkovsky had pretty "meh" production for a #1 overall pick in Liiga, but then lit up with Slovak NT.
If Lambert lights up WJC, his draft position would've probably risen by at least few spots.

Good to see a list that so clearly shows that high P/60 production seems to translate poorly or not at all to immediate or long term NHL success.

Yes. But Lambert is still clearly the worst one there.

 

[gojetsgo]

mark hillier said it didn't look like a good development situation to him, he hopes to see him in the whl but ultimately it's up to lambert, expects lambert at the world jr's

 

[Daximus]

In the WHL playing centre he will dominate and get more than 2 points per game for easily. I would rather see him on the Moose getting 2 points per game on the wing.

I wouldn't count on him scoring over 2 PPG in the Dub. Heponiemi and Bjorkstrand are the only players in the 2000's that have managed to do it in shorter games played but both had insane shooting %.

 

[Duke749]

There’s a big difference with understanding something with it’s use and weaknesses to just blindly taking it as somekind of religious gospel, without really understanding where the use is and where it definitely isn’t. Some people within hockey (mostly in North America, not so much in Europe) have become absolutely religious about the advanced stats and what they tell in the end. Your comment shows exactly that you yourself have no clue of what you are talking about - you are just believing in something.

No one says those things about advanced stats though. You’re literally making that up to try and disprove something that is a statistical fact. I know exactly what I’m talking about. There’s a difference between theory(what you’re talking about) and fact(what I’m referring too). There’s nothing inaccurate about facts. Knowing their context is important. But blindly claiming everyone just misuses them or doesn’t understand them because you have some personal vendetta or refuse to move into the modern era is inaccurate and manipulative.

 

[boydkc]

I disagree. Of course the potential is there. I don't think these players ceilings are 2nd pair. That is their most probable projection but it is way too early to say that there is zero chance of more.

I also disagree it was shallow in talent, but I'm no expert on ranking draft classes. We will see in about 5 years.

I can agree that we have needs almost everywhere but RD is the hardest position to fill, at least among skaters.

That right side evaporating was entirely predictable except for Buff retiring. In hindsight, even that maybe should have been anticipated because of 20 years of wear and tear on a 260-275 lb body but I don't think anyone saw it coming quite when it did. But if that had not happened the way it did he would almost certainly have been gone after 2 more years. So some planning for rebuilding the right side should have been done.

Right now, the only real RD prospect we have is Gawanke, and he already requires waivers. That might not be an issue if we had a good right side, but we don't. If Pionk bounces back, it is only a little weak. If not, it is really bad.

The last RD we drafted in the 1st rd was Trouba, 11 drafts ago. Since then not only have we not taken 1 in the 1st rd, we have taken only 1 in the 2nd rd, Simon Lundmark in '19. We also took just 1 in the 3rd rd, Kovacevic in '17. So it still goes back to Trouba since we drafted a successful RD.

I believe that position has to be a component when choosing BPA, along with all of the other characteristics of a player. But even if we ignore that entirely, I don't believe that a high risk, boom or bust player with possible character issues was the BPA in this case.

Kovacevic is better than Stanley way better Stanley.

 

[DRW204]

RE: the whole hockey IQ debate
and i will defer to those posters who have a large sum of viewings of Lambert, & are are knowledgeable about liiga and his linemates, oppponents etc. i frankly do not have a qualified opinion on the league or teams as a whole.

however it will be interesting to see how he translates in NA. i've seen players basically being too skilled for their linemates whereby they leave points or scoring opportunities on the ice. whether it be poor positioning to receive a pass, late on passing to a scoring opportunity, zigging when the puck carrier is zagging etc. classic example (note: this is just a context example, not of the players involved) is when i watched Datsyuk on the Red Wings w/ D. Helm or Abdelkader. Pavs would set each up w/ prime opportunities and they'd either fan on shots, or completely be unaware the puck was coming and resulting in prime scoring opportunities wasted.

Perhaps with higher offensive IQ linemates Lambert flourishes.... again, i have 0 info on his usage, linemates or liiga as a whole. perhaps a better linemate mix shows his hockey iq isn't terrible as it seems just like players can be anchors defensively ,some may be anchors offensively, which could inherently bleed into lambert's production or lack thereof.

just theorizing here. as i said, id defer to the posters who really follow liiga or lambert as a prospect/youngster.

 

[boydkc]

I wouldn't count on him scoring over 2 PPG in the Dub. Heponiemi and Bjorkstrand are the only players in the 2000's that have managed to do it in shorter games played but both had insane shooting %.

How many W games did you watch last year ? Trust me he will light it up.

 

[Daximus]

How many W games did you watch last year ? Trust me he will light it up.

A lot and I wouldn't bet on him hitting the over on 2 PPG.

 

[boydkc]

Petan was amongst the top point getters in the WHL. How did that work out? I wouldn't put Lambert in Seattle. He's played against men, putting him up against kids who for the most part will never see a pro career may do wonders for his self-confidence but I don't think it will make him a better player. There are plenty of weak opponents in junior hockey and that can develop bad habits in players with superior skating and puck handling skills. Does anyone do a QoC analysis at the junior level to see how much the "top prospects" benefit from weak teams and weak individuals?

I would put him on the Moose and live with the growing pains. This is where the team has the most say in his development. You want to be a draft and develop team, Jets? Every team can draft. Show that you can develop.

Pétanque was too slow end of story.

Pétanque was too slow end of story.

petan

 

[Romang67]

Probably yes. Slafkovsky had pretty "meh" production for a #1 overall pick in Liiga, but then lit up with Slovak NT.
If Lambert lights up WJC, his draft position would've probably risen by at least few spots.


Yes. But Lambert is still clearly the worst one there.

He has the lowest P/60 on a list that shows that it's a non-predictor of success in the NHL.

 

[Jukurit]

He has the lowest P/60 on a list that shows that it's a non-predictor of success in the NHL.

Well, can't argue with that.

 

[tbcwpg]

Probably yes. Slafkovsky had pretty "meh" production for a #1 overall pick in Liiga, but then lit up with Slovak NT.
If Lambert lights up WJC, his draft position would've probably risen by at least few spots.


Yes. But Lambert is still clearly the worst one there.

And Lambert went at least 10 spots later than anyone on that list.

The argument isn't if Lambert is going to be an all-star or not, the argument is if he was a worthwhile pick to make at 30th overall. I think he was.

 

[Jukurit]

And Lambert went at least 10 spots later than anyone on that list.

The argument isn't if Lambert is going to be an all-star or not, the argument is if he was a worthwhile pick to make at 30th overall. I think he was.

I was just showing that Lambert's production was poor in his draft year and that's why he fell to 30.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

That just means he has insufficient skill to be an offensive D-man. A skill deficiency in Junior tends to translate into becoming bottom pair players in the NHL if they make it at all.

I can't agree with that. You are saying that all NHL Dmen must be offensive Dmen in Jr.

A severe lack of scoring in Jr suggests a lack of sufficient skill to become a top 4 player in the NHL. I don't think 15 pts in 26 gms (Chesley) = a severe lack of scoring. Or better yet, 43 pts in 63 gms (Luneau). Logan Stanley scored just 17 pts in 64 gms. THAT suggests insufficient skill to make it in the top 4 on an NHL team.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I like to think the Lambert that we could get is the guy that was leading his team in scoring at the World juniors. Granted it was 2 games but he looked really good against his peers

Hope you're right. I will be cheering for him.

 

[Ippenator]

*edit this was already posted

So am i missing something or was Brad's "bad season" overblown?

Slafkosky 31 GP 5 G 5 A 10 PTS

Lambert 49 GP 4 G 6 A 10 PTS

Obviously played 18 more games but I thought it was interesting that one was worth the first overall pick playing wing and the other was 30th playing centre.

Juraj Slafkovsky Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Juraj Slafkovsky, a hockey player from Kosice, Slovakia born Mar 30 2004 who was active from 2021 to 2024.

www.hockeydb.com

Brad Lambert (b.2003) Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Statistics of Brad Lambert, a hockey player from Lahti, Finland born Dec 19 2003 who was active from 2019 to 2024.

www.hockeydb.com

Slafkovsky wouldn’t have been the number one pick unless he had unbelievable olympics and WHC against top class adults with a lot of NHL players at the WHC tournament. Honestly his production in Liiga was surprisingly weak. Although he also didn’t get too much of minutes until later in the season.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

It's a gamble either way. It's a choice between a gamble that could pay off big and a gamble that could pay off small.

Yes. But not all gambles are equal. We could have had a 3:1 bet. We took a 10:1 bet. Bigger payoff, lower chance of a win.

 

[Flair Hay]

In the WHL playing centre he will dominate and get more than 2 points per game for easily. I would rather see him on the Moose getting 2 points per game on the wing.

I hope you're right. Two points a game in the Dub is a pretty tall ask. But that's arguably what he would need to put up to reignite a discussion of him being a top line calibre player.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I would have been disappointed with Lambert at 14, but absolutely ecstatic with him at 30. The game now is so strongly based around speed, and Lambert has that in spades. With the lack of top end elite talent in this draft, Lambert, if he hits his potential, is one of those elite talent guys. Bring him over for camp and then make the decision between WHL and AHL. Hoping he's willing to go where the Jet's want him and trusting the teams vision for his development and not arguing and making his own decision. Going with what the Jets want will answer character and arrogance rumors that seem to be attached to him.
We got our RHD in Salomonsson with our next pick. Going with one of the RHD available at that time for me would have been a reach and drafting based on team needs and not going with BPA. Lambert at 30 wasn't a reach. Having 2 1st rounders allows you to take a swing which I'm really happy the Jets did. I recall some of the biggest nay-sayers in here confidently saying that a 3rd round pick on Stanley would have been a waste and that he'd never see a minute in the NHL. Also, if the RHD available at that time were projected to be top pairing D men, they would have gone in the top 10/15, not available at 30.. I'll stick with our scouts opinion here on this one.

I don't want to argue about Lambert any more. I think it has all been said.

This thread has given me a little optimism in that the attitude issues sound like they may have been more his father than him. Though the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. We will see.

But this idea that having more than 1 pick in the first rd makes a bigger gamble OK is just wrong. In order to get the benefit of the extra 1st, it has to be treated with the same care as it would be if it was the only pick you have.

I hope Salomonsson can at least partially fill the hole at RD. From what I have read he will have to get a lot better at defence. I want a 2 way Dman who can play top 4, if not top 2. Neither all defence, like DeMelo nor all offense like maybe Heinola. I may be mistaken there. The modern D seems to succeed by attacking. But someone needs to get possession for that to work.