The New Jersey Devils have had a busy offseason already. They’ve added seven forwards, not including Barrett Hayton, who has a pending offer sheet. They completely revamped the coaching staff, with Jeremy Colliton, Dave Rogalski, and Sergei Brylin leaving their positions on the bench. Only Brad Shaw remains on Sheldon Keefe’s staff. The front office also saw an overhaul, with Sunny Mehta taking over for Tom Fitzgerald as GM and multiple positions being replaced, including Chuck Fletcher, Dan MacKinnon, and Meghan Duggan.
With so much change, some moves are going to stick out. It will look different with Jacob Markstrom, Simon Nemec, and Paul Cotter playing for different franchises next season. If Hayton does join the Devils, that will add himself, Evan Rodrigues, and Jesper Boqvist to the forward core.
However, it’s another forward who is expected to get an extended look next season. One of the first players Mehta acquired as the Devils’ GM was former Detroit Red Wings prospect Amadeus Lombardi. Besides having the most New Jersey name possible, Lombardi is also a player who has a chance to grow with his new franchise.
The undersized center has been close to a point-per-game center with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. He hasn’t been given an opportunity in the NHL, but the Devils seem like they are willing to do that.
On Monday’s final 32 Thoughts of the season, Elliotte Friedman brought Lombardi up as a player he’s watching.
"There was another interesting (move) the Devils did. His name is Amadeus Lombardi. This one got flagged for me... And, you know, I'm always interested when a guy like Sunny Mehta trades for a player like this. "Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts podcast
Friedman went on to say that Lombardi had a contract situation with the Red Wings, which is what led to this trade. The Devils also just signed Lombardi to a two-year deal, with the second year being a one-way deal. For those unaware, a two-way deal pays a prospect two different salaries, one when they are in the NHL and one in the AHL. A one-way deal pays a player their NHL salary whether they are an NHL player or an AHL player.
Lombardi has a chance to grow into an NHL role in a new system. He brings offensive power at a position that the Devils could sorely use depth.
Did Mehta just find a diamond in the rough in the form of Lombardi? Analysts are paying attention to the move. This is a guy who scored more than 100 points in his final season in the OHL. He has been very successful at every level he's played.
He did struggled in the preseason last year, putting up zero points in three games and only getting off three shots. Maybe he was still too young at the time, and maybe the Devils are betting on his growth, but the Devils know they got themselves someone who can score when called upon. It's just going to take some time to see if he's able to do it at the next level.
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