The Los Angeles Kings have signed prospect forward Jimmy Lombardi to a three-year entry-level contract, according to an announcement from Lombardi’s agent Dan Milstein as well as a team announcement. This news will coincide with Lombardi decomitting from the Big Ten’s University of Michigan – where he was slated to play next season – per Matthew Auchincloss of Michigan Daily Sports.
Lombardi, who turns 19 in February, was a fourth-round pick (No. 125 overall) by the Kings at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The No. 29 overall pick at the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, Lombardi scored 13 goals and 45 points for the Flint Firebirds in his draft year, ending the draft season with mixed rankings from public-facing scouting outlets. He was ranked as high as No. 59, by McKeen’s Hockey, and as low as No. 120, by Future Considerations. NHL Central Scouting ranked Lombardi No. 84 among North American skaters.
The Kings ultimately landed Lombardi a little bit later than his rankings from public sources. The early returns from their fourth-round choice have been uniformly positive. Lombardi entered the season ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Kings’ system according to the team at Elite Prospects, and his performance in the OHL so far this season has likely increased his stock notably.
Flint is currently one of the top offensive teams in the OHL, led by New York Rangers prospect Nathan Aspinall, who leads the entire OHL in scoring. Lombardi’s 21 goals and 41 points tie for eighth in league scoring, alongside four other players, two of whom were first-round draft picks.
It’s entirely plausible that Lombardi’s jump in production was enough to motivate the Kings to sign Lombardi to his entry-level deal. What’s somewhat curious about this signing is the impact it has on his development path. Lombardi announced a commitment to play college hockey at the University of Michigan in June that he will now forgo.
That does not come as a huge surprise, of course, as the fact that he is now signed to his entry-level deal eliminates the possibility of Lombardi heading to the NCAA. While the door now appears to be open for players who have signed pro contracts in lower leagues such as the ECHL to play college hockey — Bemidji State, for example, now rosters 2021 Calgary Flames pick Jack Beck, who has 40 games of pro experience across the ECHL and AHL — there does not appear to be the same possibility for a player who signs an NHL deal.
While it’s often wise to not read too much into the simple signing of a prospect to an entry-level deal, Lombardi’s signing, due to his prior commitment to the Wolverines, does suggest something about how the organization — or Lombardi himself — views his pro readiness. Starting next season, NHL teams are expected to be able to loan one 19-year-old player to the AHL, under the terms of a new agreement between the league and the CHL.
Lombardi would have traditionally been ineligible to play in the AHL until 2027-28, due to the fact that he will turn 20 in February 2027. Under the new rule, the Kings could elect to make Lombardi their one allotted 19-year-old AHL reassignment, and today’s ELC signing paves the way for Lombardi to be able to do so.
Of course, it’s also possible that Lombardi plays in the OHL until the traditional point of becoming AHL-eligible, rendering this whole aspect of the conversation moot. But given the evolving dynamics of player development across the hockey world, these are aspects of ELC signings that are worth considering.
Pro Hockey Rumors’ Gabriel Foley also contributed to this article.