Amadeus Lombardi has done just about everything a player can do in camp to force the Devils’ hand.
The young forward has been one of New Jersey’s most noticeable performers this preseason, and the way he finished Thursday night against the New York Rangers may have pushed him even closer to an opening-night job. After a training camp that has consistently put him in the spotlight, Lombardi looks like a player the Devils will have a hard time sending away.
He opened camp skating with Connor Brown and Cody Glass, a trio that could fit into the team’s bottom six. That group came out fast, and Lombardi made an early impression by scoring two goals in a scrimmage. Then came the moment that stood out most: a late tying goal against the Rangers.
"That was his best moment in the game. Not just the scoring of the goal, but how you create that chance for yourself."
Sheldon Keefe, Devils head coach
For a player who spent the previous three seasons in the Detroit Red Wings organization, this is the kind of camp that changes the conversation. Lombardi was acquired by Sunny Mehta early in the offseason, and while many figured he’d begin the year in the AHL, the Devils have given him a real runway - and he has taken full advantage.
The appeal is obvious. Lombardi has been producing at nearly a point-per-game rate in the AHL over the last two seasons, and his game brings a layer of offense that fits where the league is headed. He may not look like a classic fourth-liner, but that kind of skill matters, especially when a bottom-six forward can also move up the lineup if needed.
His path to this point has not been straightforward. In Detroit, he became the kind of player often labeled “AAAA” - too good for the minors, not quite seen as an NHL fit.
His size worked against him, too. He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 183 pounds, and injuries made it harder for the Red Wings to buy into him as a center.
Even so, Lombardi kept producing. He had 42 points in the AHL last season, though he appeared in only 47 games because he was in and out of the lineup with injuries.
"I think a way you can look at it positively is you’re building mental strength, building mental toughness. It’s something that every hockey player has to go through and unfortunately, maybe my path is just that I’m going to have to deal with it at the start of my career, which is okay."
Amadeus Lombardi, Devils winger
Right now, Lombardi is penciled into the Devils’ opening-night lineup, and after the way he handled Thursday night, it would be a surprise if that changed.
In Other News...
Devils Need These Under-The-Radar Players To Deliver This Season
The Devils are entering the season with more than the usual attention on their top names, and that is by design. General manager Sunny Mehta has spent the offseason trying to turn a few overlooked pieces into real contributors, with Luke Evangelista, Amadeus Lombardi, Cody Glass, Declan Chisholm and Luke Hughes all drawing interest as possible breakout players if things click in the right way.
For New Jersey, the appeal is obvious: if even a couple of those under-the-radar bets pay off, the roster gets deeper and a lot harder to line up against. The challenge is less about identifying talent than getting the right kind of season out of it, and the Devils are banking on internal growth to help them raise their level without having to lean only on the familiar names at the top of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Identity Shift Is Raising One Big Roster Question
The Devils have spent the preseason looking like a group with a clearer edge, and it has shown up in the details that usually matter most once the games start counting. Physical shifts, better support through the middle of the ice and a calmer overall structure have all suggested a team trying to build something sturdier than last years version, while younger names such as Marc McLaughlin, Maty Melovsk, Amadeus Lombardi and Anton Silaev have given the staff reasons to keep watching closely.
For general manager Sunny Mehta, that makes the next roster decisions feel especially important. The organization is still sorting through depth and trying to separate flashes from something more lasting, which means the competition for spots is not just about who has looked good in a few exhibition games, but who can fit into a broader identity shift the Devils seem intent on making real. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Cap Boom Wont Silence One Huge Goalie Debate
The NHLs projected cap jump for 2028-29 gives the Devils more breathing room on paper, with league estimates putting the ceiling at $127.5 million. For a team that already has several core players under contract through at least 2029-30, that kind of increase should help ease future roster planning, even if it does not radically change the big-picture math for how New Jersey builds around its nucleus.
Still, the extra flexibility does not appear to be enough to make management chase the kind of splashy goalie move fans always wonder about. Connor Hellebuyck comes up because he is the sort of name that can reshape a conversation, but the cost of acquiring him and the usual volatility of the position make that path look unlikely for the Devils. In other words, the cap may be rising, but it has not settled the clubs long-running question between patience, spending and whether the answer in net has to come from outside. [Read more 🡒]