Red Wings prospect Lucas Raymond will make his North American debut against the Buffalo Sabres this evening (7:30 PM EDT on DetroitRedWings.com), and he spoke with MLive’s Ansar Khan regarding his first game wearing a Red Wings jersey:
“It’ll be a lot of fun playing here,” Raymond said after the morning skate. “It’s something I dreamt of since I was drafted. To finally be here, to be able to play tonight will be an incredible feeling. Of course, there’s always nerves the first game of the season. Just trying to treat it like every game and be calm. To be in this arena in a Red Wings jersey is really special.”
Raymond, the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft, will be skating on a line centered by Pius Suter, with Robby Fabbri at left wing when the Red Wings face the Buffalo Sabres (7:30 p.m., livestreamed on DetroitRedWings.com).
“They’re two really good players,” Raymond said. “They make great choices out there. It makes it easier for me to play.”
Coach Jeff Blashill said for Raymond to succeed, he must have the puck a lot.
“He’s a really smart player, he’s good with the puck, he can make a lot of plays,” Blashill said. “He’s got to make sure he has the puck a lot. How do you have the puck a lot? Either you get in the right spots, or you work to get open or you work to get it. And you play good defense to make sure you’re not defending all night. That’s how you end up with the puck. I think he’s an accountable player defensively. If he goes through the whole night and he touches the puck two times, he’s not going to be real effective. If he’s got the puck on his stick all night, we’re all going to walk out of the building saying, ‘Man, he was good.’ “
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