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

[DeeQ]

He might have not fallen this hard in the draft if the WJC wasn't cancelled. He had 5 points in two games.

 

[Huffer]

Obviously next year will be important for all prospects, but it seems like next year us huge for Lambert.
Starting with where he plays, AHL or WHL? (Please no Finland).
How does his overall game improve? Does his scoring take off? Will be interesting.

 

[mattihp]

He must have been a jackass in the interviews. Could be a fit with Wheeler and Scheif.


Amazing talent, is it the head that is not screwed on properly? We'll know in a couple of weeks when teams start leaking..

Obviously next year will be important for all prospects, but it seems like next year us huge for Lambert.
Starting with where he plays, AHL or WHL? (Please no Finland).
How does his overall game improve? Does his scoring take off? Will be interesting.

A player who plays with men won't go to the WHL..

 

[fmrdh]

His attitude and swagger kind of remind me of Laine.

 

[lanky]

A player who plays with men won't go to the WHL..

Fabian Lysell is a recent example that comes to mind. I could find many more if I took time to search.

 

[lanky]

Wondering if anyone has any examples of kids with similar cautionary flaws that proved the naysayers wrong. Would be great to hear some success stories to put the mind at ease.

Aatu Raty is the obvious example.

 

[mattihp]

Fabian Lysell is a recent example that comes to mind. I could find many more if I took time to search.

Having a taste vs two full seasons is pretty different.

 

[MardyBum]

If he shows he's ready he can be in the AHL.

He'll have the WJC, youngstars tournament, and preseason if healthy through it all.

 

[surixon]

I see Lambert playing in the AHL next season. The Moose don't have a tone of forward talent so he should get some top 6 minutes for them.

 

[mattihp]

I see Lambert playing in the AHL next season. The Moose don't have a tone of forward talent so he should get some top 6 minutes for them.

Are the moose good at refining talent? Are some of the guys on the big team developed there or it is a fail factory? Or do they do alright and the big team not putting them in a situation to succeed like with Roslovic and Appleton?

I am asking because Pelicans don't have an amazing track record when it comes to developing talent and this might be one of few finns who would benefit from the AHL. Otherwise signing and loaning to the SHL or NLA could be good..

 

[MardyBum]

Everyone. Stop.

Watch this.



Really good full scouting report.

 

[Daximus]

Everyone. Stop.

Watch this.



Really good full scouting report.

I noticed a lot of this watching Lambert too. Who ever is coaching this Pelicans team doesn't deserve a job in peewee. A tennis coach could devise better breakout and defensive strategies.

 

[Scheifele55]

I thought you had to be 20 years old to play in the AHL with the exception of the previous 2 years because of Covid.

 

[Huffer]

I thought you had to be 20 years old to play in the AHL with the exception of the previous 2 years because of Covid.

Only if you're drafted out of the CHL.

 

[Romang67]

I thought you had to be 20 years old to play in the AHL with the exception of the previous 2 years because of Covid.

Only if you're drafted out of the CHL. American players tend to be in college, and European players tend to already have pro contracts, but there is technically nothing stopping either from going to the A.

Isn't Lucius also going to the AHL now? Or did I imagine that?

 

[Scheifele55]

Only if you're drafted out of the CHL.

Okay so even though Lambert was drafted by Saskatoon Blades then traded, he wasn't playing in the CHL when he was drafted thus is exempt.

 

[Jedub]

Hopefully, but in reality Finland's (at least Helsinki's) climate bears little resemblance to Winnipeg's. In winter it's more like Toronto and in summer it's like St. John's, Newfoundland. A much more temperate climate than that of Manitoba.

Just chiming in to say north of Helsinki is very close to Manitoba; prairies, trees, lakes, and even mosquitos.

 

[cg98]

Are the moose good at refining talent? Are some of the guys on the big team developed there or it is a fail factory? Or do they do alright and the big team not putting them in a situation to succeed like with Roslovic and Appleton?

I am asking because Pelicans don't have an amazing track record when it comes to developing talent and this might be one of few finns who would benefit from the AHL. Otherwise signing and loaning to the SHL or NLA could be good..

Connor, Morrissey, Hellebuyck all played at least a better part of a season for the Moose in the AHL. Perfetti has played 2 seasons there as a U20 player and immediately looked NHL ready upon his call up to the Jets before injury. The Moose staff do a good job with elite talent, but ultimately development and success comes down to the player.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

I see Lambert playing in the AHL next season. The Moose don't have a tone of forward talent so he should get some top 6 minutes for them.

It's worth a shot. If it starts to trend to the direction his Liiga stint went, they can then send him to WHL.

My question is, does sending him to WHL then lock him out of AHL until he is 20, or is it a different situation because he was technically drafted out of Liiga?

 

[Ippenator]

I noticed a lot of this watching Lambert too. Who ever is coaching this Pelicans team doesn't deserve a job in peewee. A tennis coach could devise better breakout and defensive strategies.

The coach of the Pelicans (Tommi Niemelä) won the U18 WJC gold for Finland in 2018.



Niemelä is in fact a very good coach. That person blaming the coach is trying to find sad excuses for the bad play of Lambert himself. Quite poor fanboyism. Lambert can’t blame anyone else than himself and his dad for his poor results in Liiga. Everything else is just cheap excuses.

 

[ICdave]

You can watch the full media availability with Jets Director of amateur scouting Mark Hillier here.

 

[Daximus]

The coach of the Pelicans (Tommi Niemelä) won the U18 WJC gold for Finland in 2018.



Niemelä is in fact a very good coach. That person blaming the coach is trying to find sad excuses for the bad play of Lambert himself. Quite poor fanboyism. Lambert can’t blame anyone else than himself and his dad for his poor results. Everything else is just cheap excuses.

I watched quite a few games myself just to get a feel for how Lambert was playing. Not a single player on that team looks like they know what they are supposed to be doing most of the time with or without Lambert on the ice. It was a dreadful display of hockey. I know some systems are different from what would be employed on NA ice but I've never seen nay of those strategies used by any other teams I've ever watched. Not sure if he's just experimenting over there but I really hope the Jets get Lambert as far away from Finland as possible. No wonder so many busts come out of there.

 

[Lempo]

Only if you're drafted out of the CHL. American players tend to be in college, and European players tend to already have pro contracts, but there is technically nothing stopping either from going to the A.

There is: similarly to the NHL/CHL agreement, the NHL/IIHF transfer agreement has it that if NHL team plans to reassign 18-19 years old Europe-drafted player to another league (=AHL), he needs to be first offered back to his European team. (Obviously, an Euro team can be made to not insist on the return of the player.)

BUT, I understand that the first round picks like Lambert are an exception to this rule, and that the NHL team can develop them how they want.

Also, the player himself may want to individually negotiate an European Assignment clause to his SPC though, stating that if the team want to reassign the player to another league (=AHL), the player has the option to be loaned back to the European team of his own choice instead. (In many cases, this European team would be his old team to which he has an existing contract, which hasn't been voided but it has been superceded by the NHL SPC).

 

[Joe Hallenback]

I just realized this means we are going to be over run with the hot take HF Fin posters again

 

[surixon]

Are the moose good at refining talent? Are some of the guys on the big team developed there or it is a fail factory? Or do they do alright and the big team not putting them in a situation to succeed like with Roslovic and Appleton?

I am asking because Pelicans don't have an amazing track record when it comes to developing talent and this might be one of few finns who would benefit from the AHL. Otherwise signing and loaning to the SHL or NLA could be good..

Of the Jets big time skill players Helle, Conner, Morrissey, Perfetti all spent a good chunk of time on the Moose and have been better for it. Add in Lowry, Appelton, Poolman, Roslovic, Comrie, Stanley as more depth type pieces and the Moose have done a good job developing NHL players on the whole.

The Jets biggest problem the last 3 years or so has been Maurice's insistence on a top 6, checking third line and low minute fourth line. This made it harder for guys like Roslovic to really excel here.

I think given Conner and Perfetti's development Lambert would be well served going to the Moose.