- May 21, 2026
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Sunny Mehta has signed one of his newest acquisitions.
On Friday, the new New Jersey Devils general manager announced that the team has signed forward to a two-year contract, with the deal carrying an NHL AAV of $875,000.
The first year of the contract is a two-way deal, with a minor-league salary of $175,000. The second season is a one-way contract.
The Devils acquired the signing rights to Lombardi last week, as they traded a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Detroit Red Wings to get the 23-year-old. The Red Wings went on to pick Adam Levac 108th overall in Buffalo.
Lombardi was regarded as a promising prospect in the Red Wings system, establishing himself as one of the top offensive weapons on the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate, over his first three years of pro hockey. However, with the fact that Lombardi would have to clear waivers next season in order to rejoin the Griffins, the Red Wings elected to get something in return for a player they obviously believed would be claimed off the wire.
Lombardi is a quick, creative playmaker, which is why the Red Wings selected the Newmarket, Ont. native in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. After an impressive career with the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 102 points in his final season of junior hockey, he has found a level of comfort in Grand Rapids, showcasing his ability to be a solid two-way player, with speed and improved awareness that have inched him closer to making his NHL debut. While he never got that opportunity in Detroit, Lombardi might finally get his shot in the big time in the Garden State.
Despite missing time due to injury over the past couple of years, Lombardi has been close to a point-per-game player, notching 40 points two campaigns in a row. This past season, he scored 16 goals and 26 assists for a career-high 42 points, with three assists in seven postseason contests.
In 163 regular-season games in the AHL, Lombardi has scored 40 goals and 69 assists for 109 points, with another six points in 18 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Continue reading...
On Friday, the new New Jersey Devils general manager announced that the team has signed forward to a two-year contract, with the deal carrying an NHL AAV of $875,000.
The first year of the contract is a two-way deal, with a minor-league salary of $175,000. The second season is a one-way contract.
The Devils acquired the signing rights to Lombardi last week, as they traded a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Detroit Red Wings to get the 23-year-old. The Red Wings went on to pick Adam Levac 108th overall in Buffalo.
Lombardi was regarded as a promising prospect in the Red Wings system, establishing himself as one of the top offensive weapons on the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate, over his first three years of pro hockey. However, with the fact that Lombardi would have to clear waivers next season in order to rejoin the Griffins, the Red Wings elected to get something in return for a player they obviously believed would be claimed off the wire.
Lombardi is a quick, creative playmaker, which is why the Red Wings selected the Newmarket, Ont. native in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. After an impressive career with the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League, scoring 102 points in his final season of junior hockey, he has found a level of comfort in Grand Rapids, showcasing his ability to be a solid two-way player, with speed and improved awareness that have inched him closer to making his NHL debut. While he never got that opportunity in Detroit, Lombardi might finally get his shot in the big time in the Garden State.
Despite missing time due to injury over the past couple of years, Lombardi has been close to a point-per-game player, notching 40 points two campaigns in a row. This past season, he scored 16 goals and 26 assists for a career-high 42 points, with three assists in seven postseason contests.
In 163 regular-season games in the AHL, Lombardi has scored 40 goals and 69 assists for 109 points, with another six points in 18 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Continue reading...