The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted an early fall mailbag this morning, and he dives right in with an assessment of the Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider contract situations:
Should we be worried about Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider long-term at this point, or just have to be patient? What could be keeping it from happening at this point? — Will G.
On the one hand, I do feel that I should remind Red Wings fans that Seider and Raymond are not the only unsigned RFAs remaining. Other big names, including Jeremy Swayman and Dawson Mercer, are also still unsigned as of this writing. So it’s not unprecedented. Negotiations can drag on, even this late into the summer.
As for what could be keeping it from happening, the only real answer is a difference on valuation. That’s what it (almost) always comes down to.
I don’t think it’s panic time yet, before camp begins, but that’s probably the point at which it’s fair to have concerns about how this could affect the on-ice product, and perhaps the locker room. Those are two important pieces to be without when camp opens.
Waiting may well have cost Detroit some money here, in the form of new comparables such as Brock Faber’s eight-year, $8.5 million AAV contract. That deal would seem to set a floor for Seider’s deal. And while everyone involved in the NHL knows it’s a business, having two crucial pieces unsigned can’t be great for morale, either. Ideally, you’d want players to see they’ll be rewarded for the kind of hard work and results Seider and Raymond have delivered.
With that said, the Red Wings also have an incentive to set a standard that everyone will need to sacrifice for the sake of the team, and that’s relevant too. It’s not always easy to square those things.
Regardless, I do think deals are going to get done with both players. And if it happens before training camp, then I think any tensions (if there are any) would be pretty quickly forgotten.
Continued (paywall)
