Brad Lambert Granted Trade Freedom by Winnipeg Jets – Which NHL Team Will Seize This Game-Changer?

It looks like Brad Lambert’s journey with the Winnipeg Jets is hitting a crossroads. The young forward, a first-round pick from 2022, has been granted the green light by the Jets to explore trade possibilities—a move that’s stirring quite the buzz. From only four appearances this season and shuffling back to the AHL, it’s clear Lambert’s battle for a consistent spot in Winnipeg’s stacked lineup has been an uphill climb. You know, in today’s NHL, patience has become a rare commodity, especially for emerging talents eager to seize their moment on the ice. And with a roster packed with top-six forwards, it’s no surprise Lambert’s camp is pushing for a faster route to opportunity elsewhere. The Jets, on the other hand, have a history of playing the long game, waiting for the right return rather than rushing a deal. So, the big question: who’s willing to match what Winnipeg is asking for a promising but currently peripheral piece? The chessboard is setting up for an intriguing trade dance, and I’m keen to see which players and teams get involved as this unfolds. LEARN MORE

Brad Lambert is looking to get out of Winnipeg

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – The Struggling Edmonton Oilers episode, on the Winnipeg Jets giving forward Brad Lambert permission to seek a trade partner.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Kyle Bukauskas: “Report out there, Brad Lambert, who was their first round pick in 2022, that his camp has been given permission to go about finding a trade partner. So, he’s only played four games with the Jets this year. Looked like it’s just been tough for him to get into the lineup on a regular basis. Went down to the American League again. So, where are things at there and anything further you can add to that story?

Friedman: “Well, I’m not hugely surprised. You know, it comes the day after that, the news got out about (Pavel) Mintyukov, right? And it’s, it’s, the reaction of this stuff is, is really interesting to me, because there are a lot of people who talk about that, the days of patience are over if you’re not playing.

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Like, I’m not here to sound like middle-aged man from Saturday Night Live, ‘when I used to go to school, we used to walk uphill, both there and home, and we liked it.’ No, that’s not what this is about. I, but I do think it is a recognition that, especially among young players, there’s less patience now. They, they’re not willing to, in most cases, everybody’s different. If they don’t see a path, they want out faster.

And you know, certainly Lambert, you know, Winnipeg is a good team. He’s got to be a top-six forward. You look at that lineup, there’s really not a lot of room for him. And maybe 20 years ago, he might have waited longer and been patient. That’s not the way today’s players are wired. Young players are wired.

….

So they’ve got a winning hand right now, but I think that’s that’s the realism of what we’re dealing with now in the NHL, the kids, they want to play faster. They don’t have much patience as maybe they used to, or were forced to, to have for the American Hockey League.

Now, Lambert, it’s tough to see him in the top six there. They’re pretty loaded. So I’m not hugely surprised. You know, I, he’s still young. I could see him, I could definitely see teams being interested.

Just like I can see it with (Pavel) Mintyukov. Mintyukov is a young defenseman who could move the puck. There’s going to be interest in him.

With Lambert, what’s my what’s my opinion, always, the surest predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Winnipeg, they’re used to this. They are used to, you know, people saying, ‘Maybe I want out or I want to move on,’ and they’re now actually very good at handling it.

(Rutger) McGroarty, it happened with him a couple years ago. What did they do? They were patient. They were patient. They were patient. They said, Look, if you want McGraorty, you have to give us something that we see equal in return. They got (Braydon) Yager.

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Okay, so that’s the way I look at it. If Lambert is going to go, the Jets will be patient and but they will say, ‘We want something Lambert-like in return.’ And people around the league are going to know that. Something the Jets feel that either, is equal to him, or maybe they can use towards something else. And that’s what their history with McGroarty proved to people.

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