The Detroit Red Wings have made their first trade of the offseason, but it doesn’t involve disgruntled captain Dylan Larkin.
Instead, the Red Wings have traded forward prospect Amadeus Lombardi to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick (108th overall).
With this move, the Red Wings have freed up a roster spot that will open the door for them add another player. The Devils, on the other hand, have brought in a skilled forward prospect who is coming off back-to-back solid seasons down in the AHL.
Why the Devils Acquiring Lombardi From the Red Wings Makes Sense
With the Devils needing more offense, there is no harm in them taking a chance on a 23-year-old forward like Lombardi. The 2022 fourth-round pick had a lot of offensive success in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and has had a nice start to his AHL career since.
During his final season in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds, Lombardi simply dominated. In 67 games with the OHL club in 2022-23, he posted 45 goals, 57 assists, and 102 points. Even if he was an older player in the OHL that season, these kinds of numbers are impressive and show that he has offensive skill.
Lombardi has also shown promise down in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins over the last few seasons. The Newmarket, Ontario native spent all of this past season in the AHL with the Griffins, where he recorded 16 goals, 26 assists, and 42 points in 47 games. This was after the 5-foot-11 forward posted 19 goals and 40 points in 44 games with the Griffins during the 2024-25 season. With this, he has been nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL each of the last two seasons, which is encouraging.
Overall, Lombardi has been a good player in the AHL over the last two seasons. Now, after being traded to the Devils organization, he will be looking to continue to trend in the right direction with his development. If he does, perhaps it could open the door for him to make the jump to the Devils’ NHL roster in the near future.
Devils Bringing in Lombardi From the Red Wings Comes With Zero Risk
Ultimately, it is hard to complain about this trade from the Devils side of things. They have brought in a promising forward prospect who is continuing to impress at the AHL level. At a minimum, he should be a strong addition to the Utica Comets’ roster. However, with Lombardi being only 23 years old, there is also a chance that he will get better and blossom into an NHL talent.
There is a lot to like about Lombardi’s game, even if he is a smaller center. The Devils giving up a fourth-round pick to add him to their prospect pool is not a high price in the slightest.
As for the Red Wings, they must not have seen a path for Lombardi on their NHL roster. However, if Lombardi takes that next step in New Jersey, this could end up being a questionable deal from Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman.
TRADE: Red Wings Deal Skilled Forward Prospect to Devils