There isn’t a prospect in the Winnipeg Jets organization with more hype behind them heading into training camp later this week than Brad Lambert. The Finnish-Canadian forward, who lit up the American Hockey League as a rookie last season, has a big chance to crack Winnipeg’s opening night lineup. And after another solid rookie tournament in Penticton, Lambert appears primed to take his opportunity by the horns.
The 20-year-old scored a beauty during Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks , and played his part on Nikita Chibrikov’s second of the tournament with a sublime backhand, cross-ice pass to set up the Russian for Winnipeg’s other goal. Lambert also pitched in with another slick assist during Friday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Calgary Flames and was given the day off Monday as the Jets concluded the annual trip to B.C.
with a 2-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers . “I thought he was excellent, I really did,” Manitoba Moose head coach Mark Morrisson told reporters on Sunday. Morrison wouldn’t have been surprised, having helped Lambert develop into a top rookie in the AHL last season.
And we already know how he feels about where Lambert should be playing this coming season. “I’ve got my opinion on it, but I don’t want to throw it out there,” Morrison said last week when asked if Lambert is ready to jump to the NHL. “I think that will happen with (Jets coach Scott Arniel) and (GM Kevin Cheveldayoff) and the group there.
But Brad’s come a long ways.” That’s the hope of the organization. Let’s put a bow on this year’s rookie tourney.
If Chibrikov wasn’t scoring, he was shooting. And if he wasn’t shooting, he was pestering his opponents, unafraid to mix it up with whoever was nearest to him. The Jets could use some of that spice in their lineup this season.
He’s always in the middle of something. Thursday will unveil much about how Arniel sees his lineup shaping up when camp opens. I wonder if Chibrikov gets some looks on Winnipeg’s third line with Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter.
Chibrikov plays pretty sound defensive hockey, an element of Lowry’s line that never changes, and could offer the scoring touch the line doesn’t have. At worst, Chibrikov should be in the mix for a fourth-line role to start the season. Chibrikov scored a goal in each of the first two games and assisted on Daniel Torgersson’s goal on Monday.
In something that won’t shock anyone, Elias Salomonsson had another solid rookie tournament. It’s just a given these days. He was also good last year, had a couple of great showings at Winnipeg’s past two development camps, and took a step up this past season in Sweden.
Now, the right-shot rearguard will be plying his trade in North America. We know Arniel is a fan, and Cheveldayoff’s message to his prospects was there’d be opportunity. That message reached Salomonsson in Sweden.
I don’t see this team pivoting too much from their M.O. regarding development, meaning Salomonsson is likely AHL-bound.
But a strong camp for Salomonsson could change some minds. Winnipeg signed several bubble defencemen this offseason, adding competition to the mix. Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk are locked in on the right side of Winnipeg’s defence, but there’s no clear-cut third guy there.
Salomonsson opened last year’s training camp on a pairing with Josh Morrissey. It was a look to the future. Perhaps that future is now.
• Brayden Yager played all three games, and in all three, he impressed. He made a great forecheck and steal in Friday’s win, leading to Chibrikov’s goal, and made a solid defensive play later in the game that stopped a Grade-A chance. He was quite good in the faceoff circle on Monday.
• Kevin He shows real promise. He was played primarily with other skilled prospects and looked at home in that role. His work on the forecheck, especially, was solid throughout the tournament.
The kid’s got a motor on him, with good vision and playmaking abilities. • Thomas Milic had a hell of an ascension last year, starting the year in the ECHL and ending it as the starter with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, where he helped the Moose into the playoffs. If Milic has another strong year, he could work himself into a role as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup for the 2025-26 year.
A move like that would get Domenic DiVincentiis into the fold for the Moose. DiVincentiis is expected to play with the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL this coming season. • Torgersson had a strong tournament.
And after a tough sophomore season in the AHL last year, he’ll hope that’s a precursor to a bounce back. The Swede scored just once in 52 games after scoring 11 in 69 in his rookie campaign. The 2020 second-rounder is 22 and was expected to perform at the Penticton tournament.
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