The New York Islanders have been without dynamic forward Mathew Barzal for 13 games.
Following Thursday's practice, Lambert shared that Barzal was still not skating but believes he is getting closer almost five weeks after sustaining the lower-body injury.
But there was still no timetable for his return.
When Lambert was asked in Columbus if Barzal had skated just a day later, Lambert said no.
Officially speaking, Barzal is still week-to-week, but a few of Barzal's teammates have provided some hints.
In his conversation with The Athletic's Kevin Kurz, Islanders Brock Nelson gave us the first clue that a Barzal return could happen before season's end.
"Knowing that we have Barzy hopefully going in the right direction and close for us is huge," Nelson said.
Ahead of Friday's game, teammate Jean-Gabriel Pageau spoke to the media in Columbus and was asked about Barzal.
"He's a big part of this team. And we want him to be as healthy as possible as quickly as possible," Pageau said. "And hopefully, he's going to come back quick. I think it's encouraging. You see all the guys working and trying to make that push, and he wants to be there too, you know? We see him on a daily basis at the rink, and he wants to be there. He wants to compete.
"And I think everyone's just excited that he's gonna be coming back."
The Islanders only have 10 games remaining on their schedule before the regular season ends.
Looking at the schedule, the Islanders have about three practices remaining and seven morning skates for Barzal to get action if he can't get into a game before the season finale against the Montreal Canadiens on Apr. 12.
Given Barzal's game, a shifty player who relies heavily on his ability to start, stop, and change directions, he will need to hit the ice before the postseason begins to make sure he can be effective.
But if Mat Barzal can get back for the postseason, the New York Islanders, who are playing their best hockey right now, will become even more dangerous.
Barzal has 14 goals and 37 assists in 58 games this season.