Yahoo Sports’ Jacob Stoller suggests that Lucas Raymond is among the NHL stars facing significant pressure this upcoming season:
Lucas Raymond, Detroit Red Wings: Before we get into Lucas Raymond’s well-documented sophomore slump, we have to keep something in mind. He’s scored 102 points in 152 career NHL games and he just turned 21 in March.
“The fact that he’s never seen the American Hockey League — he jumped right into the National Hockey League — I don’t think people respect how hard that is,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told reporters back in April.
But despite all of that, there’s no denying Raymond’s dip in production during his second NHL season. After scoring 23 goals and 57 points as a rookie in 82 games — finishing fourth in Calder Trophy voting — Raymond recorded 17 goals and 45 points in 74 games. He was more trigger-shy, too — averaging 1.81 shots per game last season after recording 2.24 per game the year prior. He also recorded a paltry 42.60 Expected Goals-for percentage during 5-on-5 play. Mind you, this is a player who played alongside Dylan Larkin for most of the year.
Yes, the Swede is still young, but he’s also entering the final year of his entry-level contract. If Raymond wants to cash in on a long-term deal, or even a comfortable bridge deal, he’s going to have to show that he’s capable of more and able to bring something to the table every night – even when he’s not scoring points.
Entering camp 12 pounds heavier this year and on the Red Wings’ top line alongside Alex Debrincat and Larkin, the stars appear to be aligning for Raymond’s season. But what if they don’t and Raymond repeats another empty calorie 40-50 point season? It’ll undoubtedly affect his next payday, and there’s little doubt he’s well aware of that.
Continued; no need to freak out about Raymond yet.
