5 Early NHL Draft Targets New Jersey Devils Should Hope For

Brad Lambert is a name that has been plummeting down draft boards. His numbers don’t match his impact, and that’s why he’s falling. We still love him as a player despite the fact that he has 10 points in 49 games this season. He just never clicked in Liiga, but look at some of the other numbers. He had five points in two games at the World Juniors before they were canceled. If that tournament commences, he never falls. We stand by that.

The Devils are almost definitely going to have a chance to take Lambert, and there’s a chance the fanbase will revolt. They shouldn’t He’s having a very strange year after he was traded. This is still a dynamic offensive weapon that has a ton of speed. He’s likely a winger at the NHL level, and that might jump start his production. The Devils can immediately bring him to the AHL since he’s an overseas player.

Sending Lambert to Utica might be exactly what he needs to get his production back. Friend of the Let’s Go Devils Podcast Lyle Richardson had Brad Lambert as the second-overall pick before the season started. He was hardly alone. This draft seemed like a clear one-two punch, but the second punch got knocked out of the top five. Lambert should be under serious consideration if he falls to wherever the Devils are picking (and at this point, he should).

It’s a risk because he has had a lack of production that’s likely hurt his confidence, but that can be fixed. He has NHL talent to a very high degree. The Devils could use a risk in the top ten that has a chance to turn into a superstar.