Baby of the Detroit Red Wings is all grown up &...?

One of my cousins, we always joke who is sent straight from heaven, is considered the baby of our family. He’s now engaged, a big buff over 6’ tall young man, but he’s still the baby of our family.

Ironically, he’s not even the true baby of the cousins. He’s just the baby of my immediate generation. I’m sure being considered the baby of the family isn’t his favorite title, but everybody loves him.

There’s always a warm smile and a sense of hope whenever he’s near.

Maybe it’s why, the first moment that I saw Lucas Raymond, I couldn’t help but think of my baby cousin. They look nothing alike but have similar dispositions. Ever since, I’ve decided to protect Raymond just as I would my baby cousin (whether or not they need protection is irrelevant to my brain). 

Seeing how far Raymond and the Detroit Red Wings have come in just a few years is a roller coaster of emotions. He’s now all grown up, or so it seems, and saving his NHL team and helping his country.

As lottery balls fell, so did our hero’s draft stock

As Detroit Red Wings fans' dreams of picking 1st overall circled the drain, Raymond’s draft stock fell as well.

Prior to his draft year, Raymond was in the discussion for being a top-3 pick in his draft class with whispers of being in contention as a 1st overall pick. 

Up until his draft year, Raymond’s resume was impeccable. Arguably, the pinnacle of his career to that point (even possibly now) was when he scored a hat trick on one of the most highly touted NHL goaltending prospects in Yaroslav Askarov. 

The final goal of the hat trick came in overtime in the gold medal game of the tournament. Talk about clutch (there are other highlights in this compilation, as well):

As he played for his very successful Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team (the top men’s league in Sweden), Frölunda, he faced the highest competition in his career. 

His team is notorious for developing excellent prospects and boasting a terrific roster each season. With this greatness, the team is known to roll its lines in such a way that young players like Raymond see minimal ice time and roles on the team.

As such, Raymond’s production left much to be desired (in terms of offensive output). It was a stark contrast to his fellow draft prospects who played in junior leagues in North America and in Germany, which is not a the same level of competition as the SHL. 

Raymond could have chosen a path of less resistance. He could have traveled to North America to play in its junior leagues, but he wanted to play at the highest level of competition as possible. If it meant dropping in his draft slot, he didn’t seem to mind.

The way he was utilized in Frölunda made him a difficult player to watch for scouts as well, as some games he would see 1-2 shifts as a 13th (extra) forward. It’s difficult to assess a player in such a small sample size.

However, anyone paying close attention could see flashes of Raymond’s future. A feisty, hard-working, hungry player who wants to win. No matter the cost, he will put his team on his back and make it happen.

It brings me back to the Winged Wheel Podcast and the in-depth prospect analysis they provided. Even before this segment, Brad Krysko, one of the hosts of the show, touted Raymond to anyone who would hear him. Here are a few quotes from this specific video showcasing the support Krysko has always had for Raymond:

“I think that if Lucas Raymond is drafted by the Red Wings, he is their best prospect by a country mile and it’s not particularly close. I would expect within 5 years that he’s the best player on the Red Wings. He’s that special…

He is just so dynamic. That is the word that just jumps to me. He makes things happen however they need to happen…there’s nothing to not like about his game. He’s exciting and skilled.”

Brad Krysko of Winged Wheel Podcast

Current state of Raymond and the Detroit Red Wings

Since 2020 isn’t that long ago, it’s hard to assess the draft class thus far. 

What I can say for certain, I could not ask more of Raymond (or my baby cousin) thus far. Everything from his development, to his overall play, and production have blown me away. 

Another thing, I can’t fathom wanting a different player from the 2020 NHL Entry Level Draft. (I can’t imagine LA Kings fans or Ottawa Senators fans asking more from Quinton Byfield and Tim Stützle or wanting to swap, this draft just seemed to work out perfectly for all 3 teams–an impressive feat.)

I understand the Stützle love, as I very much like him and his game (aside from his attempts to join the Olympic diving team–I still don’t understand why he feels the need to do it, he’s an incredible player who doesn’t need to do those things). He’s a center, something the Detroit Red Wings need. Byfield is a gem too, really rooting for him and LA Kings. 

These players are not Raymond. I think it’s safe to say that neither of them would have the same impact on the Detroit Red Wings as Raymond has since he joined the Detroit Red Wings. Those players are great, especially for their respective teams. 

Just as Raymond has impacted the Detroit Red Wings so positively, I’m not sure that Raymond would have reached this level he’s at currently, especially so quickly, without being part of the Detroit Red Wings organization. 

For his 2023-24 campaign, Raymond finished with a team-leading 72 points (31 goals, 41 assists) He tied Patrick Kane in the number of game winning goals with 3. Rebounding from a quieter sophomore season and first half of the season, Raymond turned up the heat as the season went along. His best games were the most high pressured situations. It’s been a while since the Detroit Red Wings had a player whose game exponentially increases as the stakes raised. 

Raymond is like a sponge, he just soaks up any and all qualities he likes in another player’s game. Then, he adjusts these qualities and applies them to his own game. In some ways, he takes those qualities to the next level.

He had an opportunity to learn from Kane, one of the most successful players the NHL has ever seen, and Alex DeBrincat, a gifted playmaker and scorer. Seeing them in games and practices seemed to have really fast tracked Raymond’s development in terms of offensive skills.

From his shot improving (the release, accuracy, positioning on the ice, etc.) to the playmaking improving exponentially, Raymond is a very impressive player. His skating is as explosive as ever (meaning he gets to his top speed in no time at all), edgework is still top of the NHL, and his north/south speed kicked up a notch, which none of those things had to improve (or at least improve so quickly or drastically).

Sometimes the quickest learners aren’t the best teachers, but Raymond seems to want to help his teammates get better. It could begin to translate to positive results. If his teaching isn’t effective, he can at least inspire his teammates to continue to grow and develop.

More impressively than his on ice improvements, his off ice dedication to his craft is just as impressive. For example, he gained anywhere between 5-11 pounds of weight over the 2023 offseason (depending on the source), even joking the amount of muscle he gained over the summer grows each time he hears it. To have that mindset to improve, but also be humble enough to make jokes about his accomplishments speaks to his whimsical nature.

He knows when to let loose and have fun and, or when he needs to get down to business.

Raymond has a refreshing maturity in the way that he build confidence, mostly coming from his preparation. When he’s prepared he feels confident. Considering his preparations last offseason, it’s no wonder he was so confident and took such a small step for himself and a gigantic leap for the Detroit Red Wings.

Veteran and young players alike would be wise to take his mentality and apply it to themselves.

Team Sweden for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)’s Men World Championship tournament (just starting its tournament) made a surprising, yet well-deserved selection for their captain and alternate captains:

Erik Karlsson serves as the captain along with alternate captains Victor Hedman and Raymond. 

For a player coming off only his 3rd NHL season, I really don’t have words with how proud I am of Raymond.

Also, I can’t wait to see the tips, tricks, and skills Raymond soaks up playing and leading alongside two of the best defensemen the NHL has seen in a very long time.

If it’s not in the immediate plans for the Detroit Red Wings to name Raymond as an alternate captain next season, they need to rethink those plans. Following Team Sweden’s is the best course for all parties involved.

Seemingly, Raymond’s all grown up &...saving the Detroit Red Wings (and helping Team Sweden chase their gold medal).