‘He’s got amazing raw abilities’: Wild prospect Carson Lambos adjusting to AHL life
Des Moines — Rookie defenseman Carson Lambos has played a larger than expected role on the Iowa Wild’s blue line so far this season.
Lambos, the Wild’s 2021 first-round pick at 26th overall, is playing in all situations and has primarily played on the top pair this season after starting on the second pair. This responsibility and pressure has been crucial for him as he adjusts to the AHL, and it's “the only way to learn,” Lambos told The Hockey News.
This is the byproduct of Dakota Mermis playing in Minnesota before being reassigned to Iowa yesterday, in addition to Daemon Hunt splitting time between Minnesota and Iowa. Head coach Brett McLean confirmed that Lambos has played more than the original plan due to the call-ups, but he has handled his deployment well.
It’s not easy for a defenseman at age 20 to play in the AHL, let alone one that has been thrust into the type of usage Lambos has had so far this season. But he took advantage of it, and his talent didn't go unnoticed.
“He’s kind of one of those guys you can just kind of count on,” veteran forward Jake Lucchini said, “and obviously it’s his first year and you can kind of see how successful he’s going to be in his career.”
Added Adam Beckman: “Such a sound player.”
The smooth-skating Lambos patrolled Iowa’s blue line on the top pair for some time, and what he’s been able to do has impressed McLean, who added that this is good experience for Lambos — one of the Wild’s top prospects.
“He’s got amazing raw abilities,” McLean said, “and I didn’t realize he was such a good skater and he’s able to close so much on players and able to skate himself out of trouble.
“Reminds me of (Jonas) Brodin in some ways, the way he can move.”
That’s high praise for Lambos, who is 15 games into his rookie season in Iowa. The left-shot defender has a goal and five points so far, and he feels like his game has improved since the start.
This isn’t to say Lambos hasn’t experienced any growing pains.
“It hasn’t been flawless. It hasn’t been perfect,” McLean said, “but he continues to grow and his game just continues to get better and better.
“He’s been real good, exciting to see what the future holds for him.”
Take, for instance, last Saturday against Rockford. Lambos took an ill-advised penalty in the second with Iowa down one that resulted in a two-goal lead for the IceHogs. And then, with the extra attacker on the ice down a goal, a pass got past him on the blue line that led to an empty netter, which sealed the deal.
“I was kind of really high and then really low and had some tough games, but kind of steadied it out a little bit and found ways to try to make my worst nights better,” Lambos said of the adjustment, adding that it’s been easier since there’s two other rookie defenders in Kyle Masters and David Spacek on the team.
“So it's kind of figuring that out and also just getting more comfortable, more poise with the puck and realizing I can make plays at this level.”
After all, it’s his first pro season and first time living on his own. Lambos has had to acclimate to playing against stronger, faster players. And he’s learned details that will help him be stronger in front of the net and when retrieving the puck.
As far as his goals this season, he’s focused on the variables he can control.
“I don't want to get too obsessed with numbers or a call up or anything because so much of that I can't control,” Lambos said. “But I want to become a really reliable kind of dominant defenseman in this league. I feel like I'm capable of doing that. I still have a lot of things to figure out before I'm there, but I think I can do that.”
Overall, Lambos’ adjustment has been promising and now he has valuable top-pair experience under his belt. With Hunt and now Mermis back with Iowa, Lambos is expected to slide down against the Hersey Bears this weekend.
Does seeing teammates get called up from Iowa make it feel more real how close he is to the NHL?
“It does feel like it's right there,” Lambos said. “Yeah, it kind of does feel a bit more real now that you're side by side with guys that have been there.”
All data via AHL.com
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