Lucas Ambrosio
2025-26 Team: Erie Otters (OHL)
Date of Birth: Jan. 06, 2008
Place of Birth: Mississauga, Ontario
Ht: 6-ft-4 Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 91st (among North American skaters)
In a draft class that is set to be stacked with defensive talent, Lucas Ambrosio will be seen as one of the lower-tier defenders available when the floor opens on June 26. Sure, he may not have the same talent as players like Ryan Lin, Carson Carels, or Daxon Rudolph, but Ambrosio brings a lot of good strengths to his game that NHL teams should look into.
This season, Ambrosio played for a struggling Erie Otters team that failed to qualify for the OHL Playoffs. But with a team that was not loaded with talent came a lot of opportunity for him. He was playing on the team’s top power-play and penalty-kill units. He was tasked to play big minutes for the team at a relatively young age.
His offensive numbers don’t jump out at you, with him only recording 20 points in 64 games, but there are many things off the score sheet that he does well. For a player as tall as he is, he is a pretty smooth skater and has a very good first pass out of the defensive zone. Along with those traits, he is very responsible in his own end, and breaks up passes and finds ways to get the puck out of his zone to limit chances.
These traits took to the liking of Hockey Canada, and he was invited to play for his home country at the U18 Men’s World Hockey Championship, where he had the chance to play with many of the best Canadians from his age group.
A problem that I see with Ambrosio is that nothing he does really jumps out at you; he does a lot of things well, but nothing really wows you and gets you out of your seat. Nothing wrong with that, but that is the big reason why he is not projected to be taken very high in this draft.
Other THW Draft Profiles
Lucas Ambrosio — NHL Draft Projection
With a draft class as loaded on the defensive side of the ice as this one, Ambrosio is bound to get lost in the shuffle. His 6-foot-4 frame is sure to have teams interested, but taking him in the first two rounds will be a reach. I see him being taken in the third or even fourth round, as he still has a lot more aspects of his game to develop compared to some of his peers.
Quotables
“With good size at 6’4”, Ambrosio is a physical defender who can lay the boom. His defensive results have been a mixed bag for the Otters this season, but it is hard to blame him with the league’s weakest roster. He has the tools to be a plus defender with his size and skating, but he will likely be a bit of a project developmentally. ” – Inside the Rink
Strengths
- Skating
- Physicality
- First pass
- Size
Under Construction
- Shot
- Speed
- Offensive output
NHL Potential
Ambrosio has the tools to be an NHL hockey player. Will he be a top-pairing guy? I don’t see that right now. But what I do see is a player that can be in your defensive core and be used in serious defensive situations. Someone that you can trust on your penalty kill and get the puck out of your zone when the other team is pressing. He can also be a player who throws his body around and gets into the occasional fight to send a message.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 5/10, Defence – 8/10
Awards/Achievements
- U17 WHC Silver Medal
- Participant in the OHL Top Prospect Challenge
Interviews/Profile Links
Lucas Ambrosio Statistics
Videos
Late game heroics for the Otters!
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) December 30, 2025
Lucas Ambrosio picks the perfect time to score his first of the season for the @ErieOtters as his late goal stands as the game winner!@FloHockey pic.twitter.com/Djikb5LZCt
Ambrosio strikes first!!1⃣🦦
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) October 17, 2024
2024 second round #OHL draft pick, Lucas Ambrosio netted his first career goal to put the @ErieOtters on the board early!@CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/lIDs44aart
WHAT A SHOT BY AMBROSIO🎯@ErieOtters Rookie defender Lucas Ambrosio scored his third of the season in style Monday night, tucking this puck right under the crossbar and earning the #BestofOHL clip of the night!🦦😎#OHLxMilkUP | @OntarioDairy | @CHLHockey pic.twitter.com/TJFjnD3mZe
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) February 25, 2025
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