NHL.com’s Tracey Myers posted a profile of Red Wings forward and Team Sweden winger Lucas Raymond:
International competition is no stranger to Raymond, who had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 19 IIHF World Junior Championship games. He has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 18 World Championship games.
He won gold with Sweden at the World U-18 Championship in 2019 (13 points in 11 games), and bronze at the 2020 World Juniors (four points in seven games) and 2024 World Championship (nine points in 10 games).
“This is the third tournament I’m coaching Lucas Raymond. He was great the first one, he was even better the second one and now he looks even better in the third one, said Swedish coach Sam Hallam, who had Raymond on the 2023 and 2024 World Championship teams. “He’s just taken a step to become an elite player in this league and he plays with that confidence.”
So, where has Raymond taken those steps?
“If you go back, I think he’s been one of the best players in the world at his age for a long, long time, so he’s always been a great player,” Hallam said. “I think when you see him on the ice, you forget how young he is. But just as that skill has been there the whole time, the work ethic has been there the whole time.
“Now it’s just the full confidence in himself, just trusting himself, making the right plays, meaning if he needs to chip the puck, he chips the puck. If he gets some room, he makes the play. So, just decision-making, maturity and confidence are the parts of just seeing him grow over the last two years.”
Not surprisingly, Raymond is looking forward to playing with the Red Wings after the Four Nations break:
“I mean, it’ll be exciting for sure,” he said. “We’re striving toward our goal to getting back to what Detroit has been, and I feel like we’ve taken steps every year and continue to get better as a team. I think everyone’s excited to get going after the break.”
