Two Winnipeg ICE players are now NHL prospects.
Carson Lambos and Gage Alexander were both drafted in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Three other Winnipeg ICE players were eligible to be selected but were passed over by NHL clubs.
Carson Lambos, LD – Round 1, Pick 26: Minnesota Wild
Lambos is staying close to home – the Winnipeg-born blueliner will play an eight-hour drive away in the Twin Cities. Minnesota selected the ICE blueliner with their second first-round pick, after goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
The pick makes a lot of sense for both sides: Wild GM Bill Guerin said Saturday he wants to rebuild his blue line following the departures of Ryan Suter (buyout) and Carson Soucy (Seattle Expansion Draft), Lambos was a very safe pick in the late first round, and Minnesota has a history of developing quality defenseman.
Lambos slid due to a weird season even by this year’s standards: playing in three different leagues in Finland with the WHL on pause, before coming back to play with the ICE, only to have to leave the Regina bubble two games in for medical reasons.
Lambos will be back with the ICE next season to chase a championship and continue his development. His game with the Wild projects to be one based on his strengths: puck possession and solid positioning. He will likely be a top-four fixture on the Wild for a good chunk of his career.
Gage Alexander, G – Round 5, Pick 148: Anaheim Ducks
Alexander is set for South Cali after setting himself up as the ICE’s starter of the future.
A 6-3-0 record was accompanied by a 2.23 GAA and a .917 save percentage, the best in the East Division. When those numbers get paired with his natural athleticism and impressive size, it’s unsurprising to see him go where he did.
Anaheim has a good goalie pipeline, and Alexander will be given all the time he needs to develop getting starting minutes for the ICE. Like most goaltenders and late-round prospects, Alexander likely won’t see NHL ice for a few years.
Undrafted
Three Winnipeg ICE players went through all seven rounds without getting a call, but that doesn’t mean their hockey journey is over.
Owen Pederson passed through the draft a second time, and will no longer be draft eligible. However, he has generated NHL interest in the past and has the skills and size that show his potential to be one of the NHL players like Tyler Johnson and Mark Giordano who were undrafted. He’ll likely follow a path similar to the Manitoba Moose’s Kristian Reichel and Jeff Malott.
Michael Milne is draft-eligible again next year and hopefully won’t face the same struggles to get back on the ice this past season. Milne was only able to play in 14 games this season because of an offseason injury, and it took a lot of hard work to even get dressed in those. Having scouts in person watching him will be huge for his game, as they’ll be able to see the work ethic and back-checking abilities that don’t always show up on the broadcast.
Martin Bohm only signed a WHL standard players agreement with Winnipeg one day before the draft. The ICE’s first-round pick from the CHL import draft played well in the Czech U20 league, with three goals and seven assists in eight games. A full 68-game season with Winnipeg will give him a far better stage to audition for a selection in next year’s draft.
