Lucas Raymond is turning into a star. Since being selected fourth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Raymond has continued to grow his game and has blossomed into an impact player on a hungry Detroit Red Wings team.
In four NHL seasons, Raymond has collected 254 points on 98 goals and 156 assists in 320 career games. He finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting during his rookie season in 2021-22, and has really burst onto the scene over the last two seasons with 152 points (58 goals, 94 assists) in 164 games since the start of the 2023-24 season.
Yet, Raymond is noticeably absent from NHL.com's list of the top 10 forwards under the age of 25 entering the upcoming season.
Nobody puts Razor in corner #NHLYoungStarsWeek pic.twitter.com/xyRvIUVJOs
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 15, 2025
NHL.com's top 10 forwards under 25 entering this season
The list of the top 10 forwards under the age of 25 from NHL.com include (in order): Tim Stutzle, Jack Hughes, Matt Boldy, Wyatt Johnston, Cole Caufield, Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Knies, Seth Jarvis, and Matvei Michkov.
Many of the names on the list are hard to argue against. Guys like Stutzle, Hughes, Johnston, and Caufield are bonafide stars, and it makes sense to see them listed at the top. Furthermore, players such as Boldy, Knies, and Jarvis have several seasons of putting up significant numbers, making them a solid fit for this list.
Raymond has four seasons of strong production at the NHL level. On this list, there are three players, Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matvei Michkov, with just one or two NHL seasons under their belts. Don't get me wrong - these guys are great. But Red Wings fans could make the argument that Raymond's fuller body of work over four seasons is worthy of a spot.
Red Wings fans eager to see Raymond reach new heights in 2025-26
Raymond's 80 points last season were the most of any player under the age of 23. He won't turn 24 until March 28, 2026.
Along with setting career-bests in points (80), assists (53), power play goals (8), and power play assists (29), Raymond averaged a career-high 18:47 of ice time in 2024-25. He could see an increased role this season, which could lead to an uptick in ice time.
After an impressive 2024-25 campaign, fans in Hockeytown are ready to see Raymond take his game to another level in 2025-26. The Goteborg, Sweden native is gaining more and more confidence, and will be given plenty of opportunity to reach or exceed last year's numbers on Detroit's first line and top power play unit.
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