The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak posted an article which discusses Red Wings players who have the opportunity to step up and provide Detroit with depth and scoring “pop” this upcoming season.
Three of the players who Wolak profiles are younger prospects–Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard–but one player is already an integral part of the roster:
Lucas Raymond
Only 24, Lucas Raymond has already established himself as one of Detroit’s most important offensive players. Now, he needs to prove he can carry that responsibility regardless of what happens with Dylan Larkin.
Raymond has shown he can produce alongside an elite center, but the next step is demonstrating that he can consistently drive offense himself. If Larkin is no longer in Detroit, Raymond could become the team’s most important offensive catalyst. To do so, he needs to demonstrate that he can create chances, facilitate offense, and make the players around him better – in addition to scoring more himself.
His shot volume will also be worth monitoring. Raymond’s shots per 60 at five on five declined from 7.1 in 2024-25 to 6.2 in 2025-26, which raises the question about whether he can consistently put pressure on opposing defenses. He has the skill to be a high-end offensive player, but 2026-27 represents an opportunity to show he is a complete, healthy, and well-rounded forward capable of being the centerpiece of Detroit’s offense.
Continued; Raymond had his best season statistically last year, posting 51 assists and 76 points, but Raymond also dropped from 31 goals in 2023-2024 to 27 in 2024-2025, and then 25 goals last year.
Everybody around him, including Red Wings coach Todd McLellan, agrees that Raymond’s been deferring to his excellent passing skills instead of shooting enough to return to his 30+-goal form, and firing one or two more shots on the net per game will truly afford Raymond the ability to drive play on his own.
