C Amadeus Lombardi - Flint Firebirds, OHL (2022, 113th, DET)

[newfy]

Maybe not first rounder in his draft year but I think there's a lot of similarities between what we saw in Lombardi's game when he was drafted and Gracyn Sawchyn who was drafted this year. Both terrific skaters, both great stickhandlers with a lot of offensive potential. Both pretty small. Both have big steal potential if they hit.

Thats the thing though, we dont really know how covid impacted that draft year. In the year he was drafted he had 59 points in 67 games, plays solid on thePK, plays both ends of the ice well, is a great skater and does it on a horrible team? He easily could have been a first rounder if that season happened the year prior.

With gyms closed how much did he train that year he couldnt play? Did he put on a lot of muscle because hes a guy with access to a home gym or was he a guy who got screwed by it. Hockey wise, he was in his proper draft year developmentally, even if he was a year older than we knew about. His OHL team was in a different country so even if restrictions lightened in the US or Canada, he still didnt have access to his teams rink.

Way too many questions about it to say either way. Having that season off could have helped him significantly. But in his draft year he did have potential first round level of play, and since then he has definitely shown first round talent. Even first rounders bust a lot though

 

[Indrid Cold]

The excitement over Lombardi kinda reminds me of the excitement we used to get over guys like Mursak/Pulkkinen/Jurco etc. There's talent there, I just don't know that he's ever good enough to hit and stay in the NHL. As opposed to Mazur whose game almost certainly translates to the NHL.

It's weird though, because we used to pump those guys' tires when they were the best in our pool. Now our pool is way better and there's a handful+ guys that are better than Lombardi and we're still pumping tires.

I'm ready to be flamed for this take....

No flame here. That assessment is spot in. I was guilty on Mursak. He had me fooled. XO as well.

 

[19 for president]

Jurco and XO were my big ones but I think Babs ruined Jurco and XO was just one step too slow. I have high hopes foe Mr. Rockme but this year in the AHL will be very telling. If he puts up good numbers there I do think he has top 6 NHL potential thanks to his skating.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Jurco and XO were my big ones but I think Babs ruined Jurco and XO was just one step too slow. I have high hopes foe Mr. Rockme but this year in the AHL will be very telling. If he puts up good numbers there I do think he has top 6 NHL potential thanks to his skating.

I think if there's anyone Babs "Ruined" it was probably Brendan Smith. (If you consider a lengthy, albeit mediocre career "Ruined")

He was always an offense-first PMD and at a young age was pretty much forced into playing the Babcock style, never given PP opportunities, etc. He never really developed a great defensive game and it stunted his offensive game.

 

[19 for president]

I think if there's anyone Babs "Ruined" it was probably Brendan Smith. (If you consider a lengthy, albeit mediocre career "Ruined")

He was always an offense-first PMD and at a young age was pretty much forced into playing the Babcock style, never given PP opportunities, etc. He never really developed a great defensive game and it stunted his offensive game.

I mean I 100% agree with this. Jurco also developed the bad back. But I think Babs tried to turn both guys into something they were not. Smith was a physical offensive dman that he tried to turn into a defensive dman and I feel like he tried to push Jurco into a more physical Kopecky type role even though he had a pure skill based game. By the time Babs got done with them, both spent way to much time in their own heads when playing. You can't do that at the NHL level and be beyond a replacement level player.

 

[GoBoltz56]

Jurco and XO were my big ones but I think Babs ruined Jurco and XO was just one step too slow. I have high hopes foe Mr. Rockme but this year in the AHL will be very telling. If he puts up good numbers there I do think he has top 6 NHL potential thanks to his skating.

Remember when Jensen, Sproul and Ouellet all won "defenseman of the year" in their respective leagues in the same year? Boy, was I excited. What a let down.

Edit - Sproul was CHL defenseman of the year.........yikes.

 

[saska sault]

Remember when Jensen, Sproul and Ouellet all won "defenseman of the year" in their respective leagues in the same year? Boy, was I excited. What a let down.

Edit - Sproul was CHL defenseman of the year.........yikes.

As a Soo fan who watched Sproul every home game .. he was good but very much a one trick pony. Never understood how he won that award.