Khan on Lucas Raymond’s physical evolution

MLive’s Ansar Khan posted a notebook article about Lucas Raymond, who’s added twelve pounds of muscle to his frame. Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin says that Raymond is faster going into his third year as an NHL’er, too:

Coach Derek Lalonde said: “I don’t know if we need him bulking up and putting on a ton of weight, but it’s good weight, which I think is naturally going to come. Sometimes you forget that these guys are so young and their body is still developing.”

Dylan Larkin commented after the first day of camp how much quicker Raymond looks. The added muscle isn’t compromising his skating.

“First three steps, it’s really wowed from what he was at the end of last season to how quick he looks now,” Larkin said. “He’s got the explosive power to go with it.”

Raymond is determined to bounce back after what he called a different season.

“I felt like I grew in some areas and there were other areas I wanted to improve,” he said. “I think it was a good season, a great learning season. I’ll take away things from my second season to my third as well. Keep adjusting and trying to become the best player possible.”

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Tweets of note: Kostin, Edvinsson and Rasmussen in action

The Red Wings posted some action footage of Klim Kostin…

Simon Edvinsson…

And Michael Rasmussen:

Prospect round-up: Sandin Pellikka scores, plays 23:13; Kilpinen 6G in 6 games

Of Red Wings prospect-related note:

In the SHL, Axel Sandin Pellikka scored another goal on 2 shots, finishing even in a superb 23:13 played as Skelleftea AIK lost 3-1 to Orebro Hockey. IceHockeyGifs posted a clip of his goal:

Anton Johansson finished even in only 4:38 played as Leksands IF won 3-0 over Linkopings HC;

Theodor Niederbach finished at -3 in 14:36 as Modo Hockey lost 4-2 to Timra IK;

In the Swedish J20 league, Noah Dower Nilsson’s Frolunda HC won 4-3 over Vasteras IK;

And Maximilian Kilpinen scored his 6th goal in 6 games, finishing at +1 with 6 shots as Modo Hockey won 5-2 over AIK.

Bultman discusses what might be a breakout campaign from Lucas Raymond

Among The Athletic’s 32 “Breakout Candidates” is one Lucas Raymond:

Detroit Red Wings

Lucas Raymond: Raymond might be the Red Wings X-factor this season, as a player coming off a bit of a dip in year 2 but still with the tremendous talent he displayed as a rookie. He added weight in the summer, which should make him tougher on the puck, and he now has one more year of experience behind him. He also opened camp on a line with Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat, and while it’s far from a guarantee that he will stick even until opening night, the idea of playing with two other forwards who can think the game like him would be a huge help to his breakout potential. — Max Bultman

Tweets of note: Fans at training camp, ‘Dogg’ speaks, and Rasmussen is iso-cammed

Bally Sports Detroit got out the “mini mic” as Natalie Kerwin spoke with Wings fans at training camp…

Griffins equipment manager Brad “Dogg” Thompson and Red Wings assistant equipment manager Brady Munger talked gear…

And the Red Wings posted a clip of Michael Rasmussen doing Rasmussen things:

A bit of optimism regarding the Wings’ cap situation going forward

Pro Hockey Rumors’ Brian LaRose posted a “deep dive” regarding the Red Wings’ salary cap expenditures, and among his observations are the following:

Looking Ahead: Despite quite the spending spree by Yzerman this summer, cap space isn’t an issue for Detroit which is well-positioned to absorb the bonuses that Raymond and Seider are likely to hit.  If they’re in a position to add at the trade deadline, they should be a team to keep an eye on as they can take on some contracts and have a decent prospect pool to deal from.

While the Red Wings will have around 10 roster spots to fill next summer, they should have around $30MM to work with to fill them, putting them in a good position to take a swing at adding another core piece.  Longer-term, they’re similarly well-positioned as a lot of their signings have been medium-term fillers.  It has been a very slow build in Detroit but more spending sprees to build their roster should be on the horizon.

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