Prospect Round-Up: Lambert, Chibrikov Leading AHL Team
Wondering how your favorite Jets prospect is doing? If they are a forward in the AHL or ECHL, this is the place to be!
The Winnipeg Jets are off to a great start to the 2023-24 season, and so are some of their prospects. In the first edition of the Jets Prospect Round-Up, we will be looking at the players playing within the Jets system, specifically the American Hockey League and ECHL.
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Leave your thoughts and questions in the comment box of this post and start a discussion on the current state of the Jets’ prospect pool.
There can be some discrepancies between who is a prospect and who is not, but this list will contain the forwards in the pro-level system who are under the age of 26 and have less than 25 NHL games played.
While there is a variety of levels of success here in this list, it should be noted that the Manitoba Moose are struggling this season, and sit in the bottom 10 teams in the league.
Nikita Chibrikov - 9G-12A-21P in 24 AHL Games
In his first AHL season, Chibrikov is doing fantastic. In his last few years in Russia, he had struggled to produce in the KHL, but was scoring well in their minor and junior leagues. Now that he is in North America, playing on smaller ice and playing at a high level consistently, he has been producing very well.
He is 6th in points-per-game and 5th in goals among all rookies in the AHL. It is no surprise that he is producing well. His transition to North America was highly anticipated and is panning out very well.
Brad Lambert - 10G-11A-21P in 23 AHL Games
After a slow start to the 2022-23 season in the AHL, Lambert went to the Western Hockey League and dominated with the Seattle Thunderbirds to finish off their regular season, and was even better in the playoffs. This was a huge confidence booster for Lambert. Everybody always knew the skill was there, but now he is putting that all together in the AHL after a great training camp.
Sitting 4th in points-per-game among rookies, only trailing blue-chip prospects Logan Stankoven, Brandt Clarke, and Matt Coronato, that is some great company to be joined by. There was certainly some reason for concern heading into the season, but Lambert has put all of those doubts to rest.
Chaz Lucius - 2G-11A-13P in 17 AHL Games
Injury concerns are always something to talk about with Lucius. While he has played all but eight games, there is always a bit of concern about him getting injured. Since the beginning of the 2020-21 season, Lucius’ 17 games this year is already his second-highest total in one league in a season, only trailing an NCAA year by 7 games.
Through his first official pro season, Lucius is doing quite well. 13 points through 17 games is impressive, and while he certainly has the capability to score a bit more, his playmaking abilities have been on display. He has had some hot and cold streaks already, but his totals have been right where they need to be.
Wyatt Bongiovanni - 8G-7A-15P in 23 AHL Games
While an NHL future for Bongiovanni is not certain, there is a lot to like about his AHL game so far. In his second season since being signed out of the NCAA, he has been putting up solid point totals, has been good defensively, and has been a top option on the penalty kill. He started the season off with a groin injury which slowed him down a bit, but despite that, he has a strong game.
With 12 points in his last 15 games, he has been heating up, and the Moose are lucky to have him playing so well. He is typically slotted in as the second-line left winger, and could make for a solid bottom-six player in the NHL if he is given a shot.
Parker Ford - 7G-5A-12P in 25 AHL Games
Ford went on a bit of a cold streak, only scoring two points in an 11-game span, but since spanning out of that he has five points in his last five games. Now, nobody is expecting his to be a point-per-game player, but his production over the season is where it should be. If he can play more consistently and have less hot and cold streaks, he will be in a much better place to succeed.
Danny Zhilkin - 2G-5A-7P in 24 AHL Games
In his first pro season, Zhilkin has been given second-line minutes at center. It is quite the tall task, and while his numbers have never been at a star-level production rate, I think the Jets and Moose want a bit more out of him. It is clear that he seems the game very well and generates a lot of opportunities, but he just hasn’t been able to generate much off of these chances.
Daniel Torgersson - 1G-4A-5P in 21 AHL Games
Torgersson has had a bit of a tough start to the season. He is being played on the fourth line, and while there is certainly reason to think that is where he belongs based on his play right now, it is not helping his development. There is a chance he will see the ECHL soon and get some confidence built up.
At 6-foot-3, Torgersson has a big frame and knows how to use it, but he has much more in his toolbelt that he hasn’t showcased quite yet.
This series's next edition will center on the defensemen and goaltenders that play in the Jets’ system. Be sure to leave a comment on which prospect has impressed you the most, and the one you were expecting more from!