In past seasons, top flight college draftees such as Jeff Tambellini might have stayed for all four years. But the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and the changes in NHL draft rights have changed all that. Many players such as Tambellini have taken an early professional plunge.
"He left Michigan early as a junior," said LA General Manager Dave Taylor, "which I think we're going to see a lot of, with the new CBA. It also made sense that we could sign him to a three year contract, rather than a two-year contract next year. We like him very much. He's got elite speed and he can really shoot the puck. He's had a solid start in Manchester.
Tambellini, son of former NHL player Steve Tambellini, can hit high gear in a flash, and has a very hard shot, which, heading into the season's home stretch, had netted him 23 goals. A dozen of those tallies came in November, but he has tailed off significantly since then.
"I think it's just a matter of him getting comfortable with the pro game," said Taylor. "We want to see him play inside, to use that speed to drive to the net. Besides, with that great shot, when you get closer, you're going to get more chances to score. He's always been a scorer. He has that kind of speed, and we think that he can make plays. We think that he projects to be a first or second line guy, certainly a top six guy. Certainly with the new rules, he's the type of player that can really benefit. I like the fact that he's not very tall, but very fit and very strong."
