April 19: Lambert has now agreed to an AHL contract for 2022-23. Trevor Cosgrove and Koby Bender, who are also with the Islanders on tryout contracts, have also agreed to minor league deals for next season.
April 18: After a successful four-year career at the University of Michigan, Jimmy Lambert has turned pro, signing a tryout contract with the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL. The undrafted forward will be able to test the waters of professional hockey, before finding a full-time contract for next season.
Lambert, 25, already has ties to the organization through his uncle Lane Lambert, who serves as associate coach of the New York Islanders. He’s been the right-hand man of head coach Barry Trotz for years now, going back to their days with the Nashville Predators. Bringing in his nephew is a nice reward for the family, one that will be involved in some more headlines later this summer.
That’s because Jimmy’s cousin (and another Lane nephew) is Brad Lambert, a top prospect for the 2022 draft. The Finnish-born forward was ranked fifth among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting and has been considered a first-round talent for quite some time. The Islanders, who were eliminated last night in a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be in the draft lottery this season as they try to put a disappointing campaign behind them.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Lambert is coming to the Islanders after his best offensive season, though that was still just six goals and 14 points in 39 games. The hard-working forward did wear an “A” as alternate captain and racked up 42 penalty minutes, but doesn’t figure to be an impact player at the next level.