The New Jersey Devils made a small trade on Thursday night. They sent a 2026 fourth-round pick (108th overall) to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for center Amadeus Lombardi. 

This is a move that the New Jersey Devils made to add some forward depth to the organization. At 23 years old, Lombardi is still young, but he has yet to make his NHL debut. 

Lombardi was a fourth-round pick himself in 2022, and he was a high-end offensive producer in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds. Since arriving in the AHL, Detroit has kept him there, and he's gotten progressively more productive as the years have gone on. 

He had 26 points as a rookie AHL player in 70 games played during the 2023-24 season. Over the last two years, however, he was much closer to being a point per game player with 82 points in 91 games. 

His issue is that he must find ways to play more games without spending time away from the lineup due to injury. Despite those concerns, he has a promising set of skills, and Sunny Mehta is taking a chance on them. 

Lombardi very well might get his chance to make his NHL debut at some point with the Devils, but he will certainly be an option for the Utica Comets, too, who are looking to bounce back from a subpar season. 

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