Down on the Farm: Lambos Closing In On The State Of Hockey

When looking at the stable of young defensemen within the Minnesota Wild prospect pool the future presents a boatload of excitement. One name near the top, or perhaps the one that is the closest to being the next to make the jump from Des Moines to Saint Paul, is 2021 first round pick Carson Lambos.

His hunger to be a force on the ice started in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he was born and raised. A small percentage of junior hockey players are gifted unique opportunity of suiting up for a team close to home—let alone the rink down the road.

“Being from Winnipeg, you kind of grow up at rink,” said Lambos. “If you’re not at the rink with your actual team, you’re with your buddies at the outdoor rink. That’s a huge part of growing up there. Hockey bleeds in that city and every kid there growing up wants to play in the NHL. It’s a huge hockey town and I’m proud to be from there.”

Growing up with his brother Johnny fueled his passion for hockey. Partly fueled by a sibling rivalry that resembles the greatest of friendships.

“We did everything together growing up,” said the Winnipeg native. “In the summers, we must of done a million hockey camps. As we grew up, I wanted to do what he was doing and wanted to be as good as him and eventually better than him. I think that has made me a really competitive person. I think that mentality of always losing to him when you’re younger and just kind of being the underdog is a good thing to have.”

Once Carson was drafted to play for the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice, he began hitting the radar of NHL teams. His dedication to continually being a better hockey player became evident as well. Wild forward Mikey Milne, teammates in Iowa (AHL) and Winnipeg (WHL), have each grown together along their development path.

“It’s just been cool to kind of go through the ranks with him,” said Milne, who has known Lambos since he was 16 years old. “Seeing him come to Iowa was awesome. He’s just such a great guy.

“He is probably the hardest worker I know. He’s working out every single day and treating his body the way a pro is supposed to. He’s so dedicated to what he does, and you can see why he was picked so high. It’s been cool to watch him go about his business, and I’m super excited for what he can do.”

His drive and determination are just two of the many characteristics that appealed to the Minnesota Wild when they drafted him 26th overall in 2021, only the third time in team history the Wild nabbed two players in the first round (2022, 2011). Now in his second season with Iowa, Lambos has settled into a more comfortable role in part due to the familiarity of his teammates and shared goals.

“It’s fun because here in Iowa, there’s a group of us that got drafted within a few years,” explained the son of a firefighter and chiropractor. “You go to your training camps at 18, 19, 20, 21, and you get to know each other well. We’re all trying to do the same thing. There’s a good core group of younger guys here that I think are all pretty driven. We push each other in different ways. It’s basically just trying to get better every day.”

Lambos is playing well and continually getting better this season, and with opportunities presenting themselves, he is closing in on some of the final tests that an AHL blueliner must pass. After defenseman Daemon Hunt was included in the trade to Columbus for David Jiricek, a spot on the top pairing with steady veteran defender Cam Crotty opened in Iowa. Lambos hasn’t given it up since he was inserted.

“He works hard and he’s eager to learn and continue to grow,” said Iowa Head Coach Brett McLean. “He’s made a really nice step here this year now he is getting tougher assignments in games, playing against some of the other team’s top players. He has responded well.”

The brass has noticed, Iowa Wild general manager Matt Hendricks applauded Lambos off-ice regimen, saying Lambos has always been a physical specimen. His workout tests are always at high levels. His dedication in the off-ice aspect of the game is showing up in his play. The young AHL defenseman is aiming to clear the last few hurdles and find his way to the State of Hockey.

“In juniors, Carson was used in all situations, from power play and penalty kill, to top-end defensive assignments,” said Hendricks. “It changed last year when he was a rookie in the AHL. He was working on the details of the game. We were trying to let him organically become a pro in the sense that we weren’t forcing him into high minutes situations or situations he wasn’t prepared to face.

“And through that, I think we’re starting to see now that process has been good for him. He’s developing very nicely right now with Damon Hunt leaving, he’s kind of been given the brunt of the bigger assignments. So far, we like what we’ve seen, you know, he’s responded well.”

Of the 2021 NHL draft class, seven of the 32 players selected have yet to make their NHL debut. All seven are currently rostered in the AHL and Lambos is one of them. Based on trends, his determination and drive, Lambos very easily could be next man up.