PROSPECT PROFILE: CARSON LAMBOS
Aug 24, 2023The Minnesota Wild currently have one of the highest-ranked prospect pools in the NHL. Over the next few seasons, fans in Des Moines will have the opportunity to see these touted players develop as members of the Iowa Wild. As the 2023-24 season approaches, iowawild.com will feature several profiles of players in the system who are breaking into professional hockey.
CARSON LAMBOS: BY THE NUMBERS
Born: Jan. 14, 2003
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 196 lbs
Draft Position: Round 1 (#26 overall), 2021 NHL Entry Draft
CARSON’S GAME
Lambos is best described as a two-way defenseman; a player who is equally comfortable protecting his team’s net as he is contributing on the offensive end. His skillset enables him to play top-pairing minutes at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.
“I'm a 200-foot defenseman who is effective on the defensive side first,” Lambos said. “I can skate with the best players and limit the space the other team can have but I also try to do a good job of creating offense and getting pucks to the net.”
Despite suffering an injury during the 2021-22 season, Lambos continued to demonstrate the potential seen by Minnesota and posted staggering statistics during 2022-23. Through parts of five seasons in the WHL with the Kootenay Ice and Winnipeg Ice, Lambos posted 128 points (31-97=128) through 176 regular season games. Lambos proved to be a frequent difference maker at even strength and shorthanded; he finished his junior career with a +119 rating.
SEASON PREPARATION
Lambos played the bulk of his youth and junior hockey in Manitoba, but his first professional season won’t be the first time he’s played away from home. As a matter of fact, Lambos spent the majority of the 2020-21 season in Finland, where he played for JYP Jyväskylä.
“It was pretty crazy,” Lambos said. “I lived in a home with three kids who didn’t speak English and I was there for five months. I had to grow up a little bit and take on more responsibility.”
While Lambos has some international playing experience under his belt, he understands that a full season of professional hockey will bring new challenges.
“It's going to be a different game,” Lambos said. “Growing up in Manitoba, I used to go to a handful of Moose games every year. The most challenging thing is probably going to be the size and physicality of guys.”
CONNECTIONS
Lambos was a member of the 2021-22 Canadian National Junior team that captured gold, which included other top draft picks such as Connor Bedard, Kent Johnson, and Mason McTavish. Ryan O’Rourke, who spent the 2022-23 season with Iowa, also joined Lambos on the team.
Lambos will face several former teammates from his junior years in his first season of professional hockey, but he may also suit up with a former teammate and a pair of former rivals.
“I was teammates with Michael Milne when he played in Winnipeg (in 2021-22),” Lambos said. “I also played against Kyle Masters and Caeden Bankier a lot when they were with Kamloops.”
UP NEXT
Stay tuned for next week’s player profile, which will feature Kyle Masters!