19-year-old Amadeus Lombardi was selected in the 4th round, 113th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings. Lombardi was born on June 5th, 2003, and is a native of Aurora, Ontario. Amadeus has been playing in front of Michigan hockey fans for the past couple of seasons as a star player for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League. The Red Wings have seemed to be high on Lombardi from the jump, maybe even more than expected, given the fact that he was a 4th round pick. The Red Wings lack depth at center, which could open a door for Lombardi and Marco Kasper, another top prospect in the Wings organization. If they continue to play the level of hockey, they are playing now; it may be hard to keep them off the roster in 2023-24. The Red Wings front office was excited that Lombard was there in the 4th round. Detroit came into the draft looking to bulk up a bit at the center position. In the 2021-22 season (his first in the OHL), Amadeus didn’t put up the dominating numbers that he is putting together this season, but what stuck out to Yzerman and the Wings front office was how he was able to excel in the Playoffs that season.
The first sign that Lombardi took a big step forward in his game and started to grow into the player Detroit knew he could be was in the Postseason for Flint. We’ll get to that more later on, for now, I want to talk about his play style. Amadeus is not at all a big guy. He is only 5′ 10″ and 165 pounds, so the physical side of his game isn’t where he shines. Lombardi is crafty and has all the tools to be an excellent goal scorer in the NHL. If I had to make a comparison for Lombardi, I’d say Dylan Larkin would make a lot of sense. Lombardi is a fast-paced player with great speed. He has incredible puck-handling skills, and he’s not selfish with the puck. He’s great at moving the puck around, an excellent passer, and sets shots up extremely well… that’s one of his most talked about traits. Lombardi is a player that can quickly fill up a highlight reel. He can make Trevor Zegras-style plays. One thing Amadeus said himself about his game is that he brings the fans to their feet before the play is even over. He’s got a fantastic backhand shot that he’s shown off quite a bit this season with Flint. That shot has made plenty of post-game highlight reels this season. He’ll go around the net, and the goaltender won’t be quick enough to cover the post, and Lombardi will score on the wrap-around almost every time. He’s just age 19, but when you watch him, he looks like a player that’s ready for the NHL. The one thing that Amadeus Lombardi has said he’d like to work on is his defense which is by no means bad. He’s actually a solid defensive player.
Obviously, some things can be better, but one thing that sticks out is his ability to take the puck away with his stick. He’s such a good skater and so good with stick work that he can create turnovers. That’s something that’ll become even easier for him and something he’ll be better at once he continues to get more playing time at a the higher levels. Being a good two-way player is important; otherwise, you usually aren’t gonna become a star player in the NHL. I’m not concerned about Lombardi’s two-way game, however. I think he’s going to be great all-around at the NHL level.
“Ammo” is dominating the OHL in two seasons with Flint
The 2021-22 season was Lombardi’s first in the OHL and with Flint. He didn’t hit the ground running or find the back of the net regularly, but he did have a pretty good rookie campaign. You could tell he was someone who paid attention to detail because he kept getting better and better as the season progressed. During the regular season, Lombardi appeared in 67 games, scored 18 goals, and recorded 41 assists for a total of 59 points. As mentioned earlier, it was in the playoffs that Lombardi took a step forward in his game. In 19 games played that postseason, Lombardi was able to net seven goals and get points on eight assists for a total of 15 points in the playoffs. In the Detroit Red Wings YouTube series “Waiting in the wings,” they talked about Lombardi’s performance in the postseason, and they said that growing as a player in high-pressure situations is something that you can’t teach. Someone who isn’t rattled by the pressure can be a very valuable player in the NHL. This season Amadeus Lombardi has been an unstoppable force for the Firebirds. He’s showing he has as good of a skill set as any prospect in the Red Wings organization. Through 61 games this season, “Ammo” has scored 41 goals, recorded 45 assists, and has a total of 86 points. That’s 27 more points for Lombardi in six fewer games so far this season, and there is still plenty of hockey to be played, it seems, for Amadeus as the Flint Firebirds close in on another playoff berth. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and continue to dominate at the OHL level for Flint this season.
Amadeus Lombardi made an impact with the Red Wings development camp prior to the season
Ken Kal, the long-time voice of Red Wings hockey on the radio, became a huge Amadeus Lombardi fan after being able to broadcast expeditions at the Wings development camp in Traverse City before the start of the season. Amadeus made a big impression by putting together a 4-point game and scoring a Hat-trick. Two of those three goals in that game came on his incredible backhanded shot we talked about earlier. The third was a breakaway that he finished with a nice deke. Right then is when he caught my attention for real. I was a big fan immediately when we drafted him as I am a big Firebirds fan… but after this performance, I felt really good about the pick from Yzerman. This was all before he broke out and had this incredible season for Flint in 2022-23. During that camp, Lombardi was able to work with Marco Kasper, and it appeared after the camp that the two had pretty good chemistry and could work well on the same line together but of course, with them both playing the same position, It’s possible that doesn’t happen a lot in their career. These are two players to keep a close eye on as they could both come up together or at least not far apart from each other and make an immediate impact for the Red Wings.
Final thoughts
I’m really excited to see Amadeus get here. I don’t know exactly when that will be, but he looks fantastic this season. There are openings on this roster, and with a good preseason, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him in the NHL next season. His skill set is incredible, and if he reaches his full potential, he will be a really good player for the Red Wings for years to come. His speed, awareness, puck-handling skills, accuracy, all of it… It’s exciting to think about. Detroit could’ve landed a steal in the 4th round with Lombardi. I think sky may be the limit for him.
I really enjoy reading your articles Gage. You really know your sports and I learn so much from them. Thank you for the read and keep writing.