Detroit Hockey Now’s audit of the Red Wings’ prospect system continues this evening with Kevin Allen discussing 2022 draft pick Amadeus Lombardi of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds. Lombardi stands only 5’10” and 165 pounds, but the 19-year-old impressed the Red Wings’ scouts with a 59-points-in-65-games regular season, followed by a 15-points-in-19-games playoff run.
Put bluntly, the Red Wings saw enough of Lombardi this past season to draft him 113th overall, and, as Allen notes, the Wings hope that his competitiveness helps “Ammo” overcome his small stature:
He is like a tightly-wound spool of energy that seems to grow in intensity with each stride he takes on the ice. Lombardi netted a hat trick in a game in the 3 v 3 tournament at the Red Wings’ Development Camp last month.
Lombardi also scored a Michigan lacrosse-style goal in that tournament. He made everyone pay attention to him because of his energetic style.
“He’s a very competitive centerman, a guy we were able to see a lot being up in Flint and then had a real good playoff,” Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper said.
He lost a year of development because of COVID-19. He didn’t play anywhere in 2020-21. The Red Wings took note that he improved as the season wore on. He worked hard at his craft. In the playoffs, Lombardi registered seven goals and 15 points in 19 games.
“He’s a skater, he’s a worker and he’s very competitive and he plays center,” Draper said. “We like all those things about him.”
Continued; I was very impressed with Lombardi’s skill set at the Wings’ summer development camp, but a 19-year-old who’s as small as Lombardi is will have an uphill battle that’s going to need to be fought with relentless energy and enthusiasm, as well as some hard work in the weight room.
We’ll see what he can do in the fall prospect tournament, when he’s battling against AHL-level competition, and then he’ll go back to Flint for at least one more season of OHL development.
We usually see a few Spirit games. Might have to go see a Firebird game.