Red Wings forward and current restricted free agent Lucas Raymond was profiled by NHL.com/sv’s Sebastien Noren today, and here’s a rough translation of said profile:
The 2023-2024 season in the rear view mirror: Lucas Raymond
Detroit Red Wings forward accounted for his definitive breakthrough: “It’s something to build on”
During the offseason, NHL.com/sv looks back on the past season. In this series of articles, we’ve picked the 21 most popular players on the site, and studied how they performed in 2023-2024. From Elias Pettersson to Adrian Kempe and Auston Matthews: here’s the 2023-2024 season in the rear view mirror.
Today: Lucas Raymond
After experiencing an up-and-down second year in the league, Lucas Raymond had his definitive breakthrough this past season. The 22-year-old from Gothenburg led the Detroit Red Wings with 72 points (31 goals + 41 assists) in 82 games, and he set new personal bests in all categories.
Raymond was one of the big reasons that the Red Wings were in the race for a wild-card spot until the end of the regular season, and he’s blossomed into a key player for Detroit, which took a big step forward as a team in 2023-2024.
The Red Wings have been a rebuilding team for several years, but this past season, they shifted gears, and they came very close to making the playoffs for the first timie since 2017. Recording 91 points, Detroit ended up just outside the playoff cut in the Eastern Conference, with the Washington Capitals clinching the final wild-card spot with the same number of points but more regulation time wins.
“It was so close now, and it’s hard. But with some distance from it, we’ll feel more satisfied,” Raymond says. “We have learned a lot; this was a good experience for the guys who haven’t been in this situation before. When I look back upon my first two years here, we were out of the playoffs very early, and we were just playing meaningless games toward the end. And even though we missed now…It was big for us and for our team to play games that mattered right down to the end.
“We have something to build upon.”
Raymond, who was picked by the Red Wings as the 4th overall player in the 2020 draft, had a promising rookie season in 2021-22, when he recorded 57 points (23 goals and 34 assists) in 82 games. Year two in the league was all the more tough as he stayed at 46 points (17 goals and 28 assists) in 74 games.
But a vengeful Raymond appeared to have learned his lessons from year two, and he quickly emerged as one of Detroit’s most important players this past season, something that didn’t go unnoticed. With his 31 goals, he finished 4th in the Swedish scoring league, behind Filip Forsberg of Nashville (48 goals), William Nylander of Toronto (40 goals) and Elias Pettersson of Vancouver (34 goals).
“Yes, I’m a year older, my body is a year older and I’ve learned more about what it takes to be in top shape every night,” said Raymond. “There are many games and you not only have to take care of your body, but also your mind. I have become more mature both on and off the ice, and I’ve gained more experience.”
Raymond became the first Swedish player to post at least 70 points in a season since team legend Henrik Zetterberg (80 points in 2010-11).
“Lucas was extremely impressive this year,” said Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde at the team’s end-of-season media availability. “I can’t say enough good things about him. I’m extremely proud of him. When we had our exit meetings after the previous season, I challenged him. I made demands, including that he should improve his training habits and attitude.”
“They were tough conversations, but he’s answered everything we asked him to do. Now we will try to take further steps forward.”
“Lucas was extremely impressive this year,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said at the club’s closing media availability. I can’t say enough good things about him. I am extremely proud of him. When we had our final meetings after last season, I challenged him. I made demands, including that he should improve his training habits and his attitude.
During the final stretch of the regular season, the Red Wings were in a frenzied pursuit of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and in that pursuit, Raymond was a driving force, posting 6 goals in the final 6 games, including a hat trick, the second of his NHL career, in the away game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 11th.
“He really showed his ability to decide games, especially toward the end. We saw him score important goals in junior hockey before we drafted him,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said. “Now we’ve seen him score important goals at this level. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence. I think he’ll continue to do so.”
Raymond ended his season by playing in the World Championship for the Tre Kronor, where he posted 9 points (4 goals plus 5 assists) in 10 games for Sweden.
“It’s tough to play against him,” says Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who played in the World Championship together with Raymond. “He had a phenomenal year, and I’d like to say that he carried Detroit on his shoulders, it definitely felt that way.”
