Few players have more to gain than Brad Lambert does at Winnipeg Jets training camp. With the formal skates set to begin today, the 20-year-old forward has done everything in his power to prepare himself for the challenge ahead.
Brad Lambert didn’t have to go to development camp in July. He didn’t have to go to the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, either. How he has handled himself this offseason has put him in an ideal position to win an NHL roster spot when Winnipeg Jets training camp begins which was one of the five storylines I was watching coming into this camp.
Lambert’s offseason will prove valuable
Jets’ General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff mentioned Lambert’s leadership back at development camp in July, where Lambert took on a leadership role as one of the older players at the camp.
“It says a lot about a player like Brad Lambert who doesn’t have to come here but wants to come here and be a part of it and take on that leadership role,” Cheveldayoff stated. Lambert held an on-ice leadership role with the Manitoba Moose last season as one of their key cogs offensively, but to see him add an off-ice element to his leadership puts him in a great position ahead of camp.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
While Lambert isn’t expected to take on a leadership role with the 2024-25 version of the Jets, the coaching staff and management group are sure to have taken note of the way he has shaped himself away from the ice this offseason.
“You are not asking a player to be or do anything that they’re not, but I do think part of the process is that you do see players do grow year over year,” Cheveldayoff said about Lambert. “Not only physically but emotionally, mentally. That is the essence of when you have young players, is seeing them grow, seeing them come into their own, having confidence, not only to carry a puck down the ice but to have the confidence to go and sit with a first-year guy and say, ‘how’s it going? how’s your day?’ That’s just a part of the process.”
Lambert added weight and maintained speed
As for his on-ice impact and development over the summer, Lambert spoke to the media before the young stars tournament where he stated that he was able to add some weight over the summer.
“I put on eight pounds this summer,” Lambert said last week. “So, pretty, pretty successful. I was working out in Toronto and I feel like I had a good summer, got stronger, put on a little bit of weight, but still was able to keep my speed and quickness out there.”
Photo Credit: Colby Spence (Illegal Curve)
The main concern when speedy, agile skaters put on weight is that they’ll lose a chunk of their wheels. It’s best to not take anything major away from the young stars tournament, but one thing we did see is that Lambert’s elite skating ability hasn’t wavered. He routinely looked like his usual self, breaking away for scoring chances in open ice and flying around the ice.
That electric skating ability could make Lambert’s transition to the NHL easier than prospects who need to improve their footspeed. His ability to enter the zone, burn past defenders, and create scoring chances off the rush are all things that he will need to do at a high level if Scott Arniel is going to trust him with second-line responsibilities this season.
While Vlad Namestnikov has inside track for 2C role, Lambert could surprise
Lambert has done everything right this offseason, and yet it still might not be enough. One thing working against Lambert, is whether or not the Jets believe him having a top-six role in the NHL is best for him this season. In a conversation with ‘Jets at Noon’ in August, Scott Arniel was asked about the upcoming 2C battle and stated that Vlad Namestnikov was “probably going to have a really good look there”.
It’s clear that the Jets coaching staff highly values the quality minutes that Namestnikov provided them with last season, which gives him a leg up over Lambert to begin the season.
Jets fans may not want to hear it, but there is a scenario in which Lambert impresses at camp and is clearly a step above his level of play last season, but still begins the season in the AHL. Based on past decisions within the organization (Kyle Connor playing 4 AHL games in 2017-18), they may play this scenario similarly. If he checks the boxes that the Jets coaching staff is looking for and doesn’t make the team, he could be the first call up in the event of an injury or poor performance.
When looking at Lambert’s offseason as a whole, it’s clear that he has taken every step needed to put himself in this position when camp begins. Now, he has to go out, and win a job as a 20-year-old prospect. This could be a fascinating battle that spans over the entirety of preseason, with the decision being made close to the season opener.
