Updated at 10:03 AM: MLive’s Ansar Khan and the Free Press’s Helene St. James both posted articles discussing Lucas Raymond’s dominant preseason performances this morning, with Khan discussing how Raymond is making it hard for the Red Wings to send him to Grand Rapids…
The fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft has been one of the main storylines in each of his three preseason games – for the right reasons. He contributed a goal and an assist in Monday’s 6-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena and leads the team with six points (two goals, four assists).
“My mindset was to do whatever I can to make the team and do the things I can control and impact and then it’s up to the staff to decide,” Raymond said.
Raymond will get at least one and possibly two more exhibitions before the Red Wings make their final cuts and set their 23-man season-opening roster.
“Obviously, we don’t have to make that decision yet,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He’s played good in the games he’s played so far and that’s all he can do, take the challenges he has ahead of him and do a good job. He’s got a mature game for a young guy, and he’s obviously got talent. Let’s keep evaluating.”
Raymond will only stick around if he is logging decent minutes on a top-two line and playing on the power play.
Jakub Vrana will miss at least four months due to shoulder surgery. That creates an opportunity for a skilled player. It could prompt the Red Wings to sign veteran Bobby Ryan, in camp on a tryout. But that wouldn’t necessarily preclude the team from keeping Raymond around.
And St. James discusses similar themes in a subscriber-only missive:
Raymond has a team-leading six points. He’s been put in a position to succeed, playing either with Dylan Larkin and Filip Zadina, or Robby Fabbri and Pius Suter. Raymond has been a fit on the power play, and penalty kill, and has been on the ice in the last minute of games. The benefit of exhibition season is that young players can be given such responsibility without risk, but Raymond has earned the precious minutes.
“The fact he understands — like, some guys are flashy and talented and don’t play efficient hockey, meaning create more than they give up,” Blashill said. “I think he takes what’s given and ultimately when you take what’s given, you’re creating without giving up a whole bunch. He’s done a good job of that.”
It only makes sense for the Wings to keep Raymond if there’s a spot for him in the top six. Bobby Ryan, invited to camp on a tryout, deserves a contract, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for Raymond. The Wings are without Jakub Vrana, who was slotted to play on a line with Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, for at least four months because of a shoulder injury.
Raymond has blended in seamlessly in exhibition season, seemingly earned a spot. He’s vulnerable because he can be assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins without waivers, but even if that happens, Raymond is making a case that he won’t be there long.
“My mindset was to do whatever I can to make the team,” he said. “I feel really comfortable with timing and speed. It feels like my tempo is there and my head as well. I feel good.”
My gut feeling is that Raymond ends up in Grand Rapids to start the year, but that he also ends up on Detroit’s roster permanently by the end of the 2021-2022 campaign.
Update: The Athletic’s Max Bultman discusses Raymond’s performance, too:
One natural question with all those power-play points (as well as an empty-net assist last week) is whether the man-advantage production is putting any kind of rosy filter on Raymond. But a couple of stats quickly answer that question. Raymond is the Red Wings’ leading forward by expected goals for percentage at five-on-five, at 64.78 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick. He is also their third-leading forward in five-on-five shot share. A few eventful shifts can always skew those numbers in such a small sample, but small samples are all the preseason has to offer.
And here’s what Blashill said about Raymond’s willingness to go get the puck at five-on-five, a key emphasis from the coach coming out of training camp:
“He’s done a good job — done a better job I think here so far than I thought he did in the prospects tournament. He seems to have it more, he’s attacked more with it. He’s went and got it way more. Like I said, he’s also got a pretty mature game. So I think over a couple games that Zadina-Larkin-Lucas line has been pretty good.”
Blashill did mention he didn’t know how many more games he’d have Larkin play this preseason, so at some point, Raymond’s supporting cast in this audition might change. That will be another test for him, and another reason the remaining games are still important. And Raymond’s not getting ahead of himself here, either.
