Drafted 113th overall in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Entry draft, Amadeus Lombardi has lit the Red Wings prospect pool ablaze after his incredible 2024-25 campaign with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL, and with his equally impressive final season with the Flint Firebirds in the 2022-23.
The last two preseasons have also seen him be one of the organization's biggest standouts during training camp and preseason.
With his development seemingly being attached to a spaceship and being sent into orbit around the moon, he looks poised to do the same thing again in the upcoming training camp and preseason for 2025-26, and he could make life a living hell for general manager Steve Yzerman and head coach Todd McLellan when making the final roster decisions.
Lombardi won't make Steve Yzerman's job easy
As mentioned before, Lombardi gained prominence on most people's radars during his 2022-23 campaign with the Flint Firebirds, which saw him increase his scoring from 18 goals and 59 points in 67 games the previous season to 45 goals and 102 points in the same number of games.
He was also an absolute monster for Flint in the playoffs, both seasons scoring 22 points in 26 playoff games. Needless to say, it didn't take long for the Red Wings to give him a contract.
After signing his entry-level contract, he was sent to Grand Rapid for the 2023-24 campaign, where he helped the Griffins return to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. His numbers were ok in his first full pro season, but you couldn't help but know that there was more to his game than just being a playmaker.
He proved that during the 2024-25 season where he was on pace to have around 60 points before missing almost half the season with an injury. Still, he managed to put of 40-points in 44 games.
During the 2024-25 Red Wings training camp and preseason, Lombardi was one of the few prospects who looked fantastic and poised to break down the door sooner rather than later. I think we're reaching that time.
While many look at the likes of Nate Danielson, Carter Mazur, and Axel Sandin-Pellikka to be the top dogs for a spot on the Red Wings final roster, Lombardi could make it a much harder fight for those guys than many think.
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