The lottery recently cemented Los Angeles’ pick at eighth overall. On multiple occasions, we stated our expectations the pick will likely go to a defenseman (assuming the Kings keep it).
The blueliners we expect to go early in the first round include Owen Power, Brandt Clarke, Luke Hughes, and Simon Edvinsson. We could be venturing in uncommon territory, as the last time more than four defensemen went in the top eight was in 2012. In that year, the picks were:
Ryan Murray (second)
Griffin Reinhart (fourth)
Morgan Rielly (fifth)
Hampus Lindholm (sixth)
Matt Dumba (seventh)
Derrick Pouliot (eighth)
Just to add to the fun, Jacob Trouba (ninth) and Slater Koekkoek (tenth) rounded up the top third of the draft.
Avid readers may not like the odds of a highly regarded defensive prospect falling to the Kings. The question beckons, “Who’s next?”
CARSON LAMBOS
Vitals
Date of Birth: January 14, 2003
Height: 6’1
Weight: 201 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
2020-21 Season
Lambos played the majority of the 2020-21 season in Finland. In the U20 SM-sarja league, he scored 11 points (2 G, 9 A) in 13 games.
Not In Your Liiga
The native of Winnepeg, MB faced a difficult decision shared by many prospects at the start of the season. Due to COVID, the WHL had suspended the league start indefinitely. Without knowing when he would have a chance to resume playing at home, Lambos opted to play overseas in Finland.
He only played 2 games in the top league, called Liiga. Most of the year was spent in the junior ranks. Playing across the pond drew attention to him during a time when many prospects were vying to get some game time.
Growing Pains
Eventually, the WHL did announce their return to play plans. Said news typically is a relief for most players, yet it was an abrupt celebration for the blueliner. Lambos injured his leg in his second game once returning home, and was sidelined for the rest of the year.
Limited Exposure
We have alluded to it multiple times in our articles: exposure helps, particularly on international stages. Playing against peers across the world gives organizations a chance to gauge where the player is, technically and physically, relative to his peers. The most common tournaments where this occurs include the U20 WJC, U18 WJC, and Hlinka Gretzky. The CHL also typically hosts a Top Prospects tournament, a Canada-Russia Super Series, and finally there’s the Memorial Cup.
Lambos has not been able to participate in any of these, save for a U17 tournament in the 2019-20 season. Either the tournaments have been canceled due to COVID, or Lambos has been injured.
Rankings by Independent Scouting Services
Ranked fifth by The Draft Analyst. “Already owning a reputation as a premier two-way defense prospect for the 2021 draft, Lambos’ move to Europe in the wake of the WHL shutdown bore positve results, as he helped stabilize a downtrodden JyP U20 team. He’s an impressive skater with a powerful stride who also has that Western Canadian penchant for toughness and physicality. The injury bug that kept him out of the under-18 world championship should not impact his long-term development.”
Ranked 17th by The Hockey News. “One of the hallmarks of Lambos’ game is his compete level and willingness to jump up into the play. And while that’s a quality that is lauded in North America, one scout said it actually hindered Lambos this season in Finland. ‘He was on the wrong side of the play, on the wrong side of the puck,’ said the scout. ‘It exposed him a little more.’”
Ranked 21st by Draft Prospects Hockey. “Great poise and smarts. Is hard to knock off the puck due to his solid frame. His shot from the point is quick, heavy, and he locates it properly. Shows flashes of offensive ability moving the puck and quickly transitioning. Has the tools that should translate well to the NHL. His game took a hit mid-way through the season, not sure if it was injury related. He didn’t command the ice from back end like he had so many times in his DY-1. His skating and decision making have both looked off before his season ending leg injury but the potential for a high-end NHL defender is still present.”
See For Yourself
Here is a shift-by-shift video of Lambos in Finland against the U-20 Roki team. He wore No. 9 in black.
Final Comments
First and foremost, we want to reiterate the expectation the Kings will target a defenseman with the eighth overall pick. There are a lot of blueliners who are of the appropriate quality and “best player”. When tiebreakers are applicable, positional “need” may come into play. Organizationally, left defense would become the highest priority.
Lambos checks a lot of boxes. He has size, skill, maturity to compete overseas during a chaotic COVID year, toughness, and defensive discipline. Moreover, left defense would be addressed. However, it seems the native of Winnipeg would fall into a different tier of blueliners the Kings would target.
To be clear, this is a first-round talent type of player. He falls into what would be best described as “No Man’s Land”: not in their sights for eighth overall, but not likely to fall into the second round for the Kings to grab.
The question becomes, “What about moving down for an additional pick?” Rob Blake is not interested in adding more quantity. If anything, he may spend future capital to move up in the draft. Of course, if Lambos were to fall to the Kings in the second round, much like Kaliyev did in 2019, he would be a get for any organization.
NOTE: David Hofreiter was the lead contributor in the gathering of information used in this article. You can find him on Twitter @Davidenkness to talk more hockey.
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