Devils’ Amadeus Lombardi’s NHL Career Off to a Great Start

The New Jersey Devils made some interesting offseason moves to get a stronger, more offensive forward team heading into the 2026-27 season. They traded Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers in exchange for three forwards, Ben Steeves, Evan Rodrigues, and Jesper Boqvist. During free agency, the Devils also signed Anthony Mantha. In addition, they also acquired Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators in exchange for draft picks.

Probably the biggest surprise during the offseason was the Devils acquiring forward Amadeus Lombardi from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. The Devils only had to give up a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for the young forward.

Lombardi was with Detroit for three full seasons but had only played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for Detroit’s affiliate team, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Now, the Devils have given him a chance to play in the NHL for the first time.

Lombardi’s Beginnings

Lombardi was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 2022 in the 4th round, 113th overall. He remained in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he got his professional start for one more season, before he moved to the Red Wings organization. Lombardi kicked off his time within Detroit playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins’, the Red Wings’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team, the Red Wings.

He played with the Grand Rapids Griffins for three seasons, where he played in 161 games and recorded 108 points. In each season in Grand Rapids, Lombardi recorded more points each time, creating growth in the offensive department throughout his time with the Griffins.

Lombardi Makes NHL Debut with Devils

It took three long AHL seasons, but they say good things come to those who wait. On Oct. 1, the Devils played their home and season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. This was an exciting game for the team, as they were getting ready to kick off the 2026-27 season. For one player, Lombardi, it was his NHL debut.

Lombardi went out onto the ice and took his rookie lap for the team that traded for him during the offseason. Throughout the game, he took 11 shifts and spent 8:03 on the ice. Although this might be a short time on the ice, compared to the rest of the team, this was a great start for him in the NHL.

Three games later, Lombardi recorded his first NHL point, an assist off of Jesper Boqvist’s goal. Three games after that, Lombardi recorded his first multi-point game, with two assists, one on Luke Hughes’ second goal of the game, and one on Stefan Noesen’s goal to kick off scoring in the third period.

It’s not always about points, though, and Lombardi has been proving this in each of his games. He attacks the ice with speed. He might not have the highest ice time comparatively, but he continues to find a chance to make an impact throughout the game.

Lombardi Has a Long Season Ahead of Him

Despite a strong performance in his first eight games with the Devils, Lombardi was listed as a healthy scratch in the Devils’ two games on Oct. 20 against the Colorado Avalanche and on Oct. 22 against the Anaheim Ducks.

Even though he was benched, Lombardi should not take offense to this coaching decision. The Devils just got Connor Brown in the lineup for the first time in the 2026-27 season, and they needed to make room in the lineup to accommodate him. This move is not an affront to Lombardi; making him a healthy scratch was just to get a veteran player back into the lineup.

On Oct. 24, against the Los Angeles Kings, Lombardi re-entered the lineup. The day prior, the Devils traded Dawson Mercer to Winnipeg as part of the trade for Connor Hellebuyck, but head coach Sheldon Keefe explicitly stated Lombardi was entering the lineup in this game regardless of the trade.

Lombardi is now playing at the NHL level and doing a great job of stepping up in his first season in the big leagues. Even though he had to be a healthy scratch for two games, he quickly returned to the lineup. The 2026-27 season is a long, 84-game one; Lombardi will have plenty of chances to make an impact within the forwards group as the season progresses.