- The Jets put Brad Lambert on waivers Tuesday
- The 22-year-old has one assist in 11 games this season
- Read below for where he could land if he clears
The Winnipeg Jets have put Brad Lambert on waivers.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday that the 22-year-old forward is available to the other 31 teams. If he clears Wednesday, Lambert is expected to head back to the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.
Lambert has been in the lineup for most of the first month, but the production never showed up. He has one assist in 11 games, and that came in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Blackhawks on Oct. 15. He is pointless in his last five and sits at minus-5 while averaging just 9:10 a night.
His last game was Thursday, a 5-4 loss to the Lightning. He played less than nine minutes.
The Jets drafted Lambert 30th overall in 2022, a year after he was projected as a top-three pick. Across 42 NHL games he has three goals and nine points. In 173 AHL games he has 36 goals and 106 points, and Winnipeg appears to believe a bigger role with the Moose is the better fit right now.
This move comes while the team around him is struggling too. Scott Arniel told reporters he was “not worried” about his job after the ninth loss, which we covered here.
A claim is possible. Lambert is young and still has the offensive skill that made him a lottery-level prospect, so a team short on scoring could take a look. The Flames, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets and Flyers all fit that description. Seattle is another possibility, since Kraken head coach Lane Lambert is his uncle and the team traded center Shane Wright to Nashville on Sunday.
Lambert will know his fate Wednesday.
