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Back On Track - Dec. 1 2023 - Vol. 77 Issue 7 - Jacob Stoller
BRAD LAMBERT
(JONATHAN KOZUB/MANITOBA MOOSE)
THE WAY BRAD LAMBERT shrugged off embarrassment during a November tilt versus the Rockford IceHogs was telling. His Manitoba Moose were on a 4-on-3 power play, and Lambert, a right shot situated on the left flank, received the puck off the faceoff. He opened up his hips and walked the blueline – forcing a Rockford penalty-killer to press him – before deferring to an open teammate. He rotated out to open real estate on his strong side, and the puck was cycled back to him moments later. He took four strides up to the hash marks before unleashing a top-corner snipe. After the goal, he glided to the right of the ice and pulled off the ol’ “are you not entertained” celebration before a record-scratch moment. While attempting to slam the glass in exuberance, Lambert wiped out. “I didn’t see the boards there,” a grinning Lambert said. “They came quick.”
Over the past few years, it’s been hard for Lambert, who turns 20 in mid-December, to shrug things off and smile. Once dubbed a “can’t-miss prospect,” Lambert had a disappointing draft year, plummeting his stock. He was still taken 30th overall in 2022 by the Winnipeg Jets, but concerns remained after his struggles in Finland’s Liiga carried over to the AHL. The Lahti native’s tantalizing skill set – highlighted by his elite skating and puck skills – was shown in flashes, but he was clearly outmatched against men. As a result, his confidence compounded negatively.
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But this year? Lambert isn’t squeezing his stick too hard. He had 10 points in his first 10 games while shouldering top-line center duties and playing a key role on the first power-play unit. He’s been one of Manitoba’s most relied-upon players at 5-on-5, and his team-high 71.4 percent goals-for percentage speaks to why.
It’s a night-and-day difference from his first AHL stint at the start of last season, when he recorded three points in a 14-game span that ended with a 10-game scoring drought. During his first taste of the minors, Lambert looked timid, and he struggled to cut to the inside – which is much harder to do on the smaller North American ice, especially against grown men. So, it made sense that after representing Finland at the World Junior Championship, Lambert joined the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds for the second half of 2022-23, where he dominated his age class for the first time in a while. In 43 regular-season and playoff games, Lambert combined for 64 points – 26 of which came in the post-season, where Lambert finished second on the Thunderbirds in scoring.
Moose coach Mark Morrison says this time around, Lambert is much better at managing his game, which is a testament to his maturity and hockey IQ. “People see when he has the puck and skates fast, but it’s the stuff off the puck, like picking up your check and playing smart in the ‘D’ zone, where he’s really improving, and that’s most important.”
(JONATHAN KOZUB/MANITOBA MOOSE)
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Lambert knows mastering those intricacies is imperative in his pursuit of becoming an NHLer. “A big part of it is just knowing the different situations,” he said. “We’ve talked through it. If there’s a minute left on the clock and we’re winning, you’re making different decisions than what you would be if you were losing.”
Morrison says he’s been most impressed with how Lambert has managed his game. While the shiny point totals are encouraging, it’s the way in which Lambert is going about producing that most impresses Morrison. “He doesn’t hang onto the puck and try to beat three guys all by himself,” Morrison said. “He’ll move it and go to get it back. He just makes smarter plays with the puck.”
That maturity is what’s helped him thrive in his natural position down the middle, which is where Lambert believes he’s most dangerous. “I can use my speed better,” he said. “I’m pretty good at pouncing on loose pucks down low in our own zone and getting them out.”
There’s a lot that goes into being a center at the professional level, let alone the NHL, but Lambert hasn’t been cutting any corners. “To coach Brad Lambert, it’s a pleasure,” Morrison said. “You coach him and he’s attentive to what you tell him. It’s not like he just listens and then doesn’t go out and try it. He’ll go out and try things. He might get it wrong once or twice, but he eventually succeeds at it because he takes the things we’re coaching him on and puts them into play.”
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