The Athletic’s Max Bultman wrote an in-depth profile of Lucas Raymond, and it’s an excellent, in-depth article discussing Raymond’s familial hockey history:
When the Red Wings selected him fourth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, he became their highest selection in 30 years, a high-pressure distinction as the proud Original Six franchise attempts to return to its former glory. Last year, the Red Wings won just 17 out of 71 games, and the fan base, in turn, placed all its hopes on the draft to make all that losing worth it.
Expectations, in other words, are high. And as Raymond meets them, they may grow higher still. That’s a tall charge for an 18 year old.
By all indications, though, it’s also the kind of situation in which Raymond is built to thrive. For all of his many talents, and the single-minded competitiveness that drove him to where he is, none may be as important as Raymond’s ability to embrace pressure. Not just to withstand it, but, as his brother said, to “get better” under it.
“He wants the pressure,” said Tobias Johansson, Frölunda’s J20 coach.
“He feeds from it.”
Continued (paywall)
