I’m not a fan of “re-drafts.” Even the best prospect experts in the world can’t capture the developmental curves of 18-year-old hockey players–NHL teams certainly don’t have a magic formula to gain draft success with every pick, either–because hockey is such a difficult sport to predict in terms of individual players coming out of various junior leagues in unfinished forms.
All of that being said, The Athletic’s draft expert, Scott Wheeler, has “re-drafted” the 2020 NHL Draft class, and he at least gives Lucas Raymond’s high-end potential some significant praise while suggesting that Raymond should have been drafted by the Ottawa Senators instead of the Detroit Red Wings (presuming that Tim Stuetzle went 1st overall):
3. Ottawa Senators: RW Lucas Raymond
Actual draft pick: No. 4 (change: +1) to Detroit
My final ranking: No. 5 (change: +2)The only non-Stützle player on this list with two seasons in an NHL top six already, and the second-most productive player in the draft to only Stützle so far, we all know what Raymond is: a 20-goal, 50-to-60-point guy. For him to stay here, he’ll probably have to become slightly more than that and establish himself as the Red Wings’ 1RW and a perennial 70-point guy. I think he gets there. No real notes in terms of my ranking and evaluation at the time on this one. I was aligned with the consensus on him in terms of ranking and evaluation/projection.
Continued (paywall); as far as I’m concerned, Raymond will probably top out around 25 goals and 65 points a season, just short of Wheeler’s projections, but that’s me being a little conservative. I do believe that he’ll eventually be the Red Wings’ first-line right winger.
