Lucas Raymond building his value with Detroit Red Wings: 'He's our game decider'
TORONTO — Phrases like game decider and very impressive come up when the Detroit Red Wings share their thoughts on Lucas Raymond's recent play.
That he's a phenomenally gifted young player has been clear since Raymond made his debut three seasons ago, but he's never performed like this, because he hasn't had the chance.
It's the final week of the regular season, the Wings are in the chase for a playoff spot, and Raymond has skated into that spotlight and commanded the attention. Entering Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto, Raymond had crammed seven points into his previous three outings, including a hat trick in the game prior, which kept the playoff path open.
"I think it’s pretty interesting to see how much of an impact he has on every single game," Moritz Seider said after the morning skate at Scotiabank Arena. "He was our game decider, so we took a point. He just doesn’t take a shift off right now and I think a lot of people should take that as an example. He isn’t the loudest, but he definitely leads by his actions on the ice and that’s what we need the most right now, and it’s really fun to watch."
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Raymond had a team-leading 68 points after 79 games. His 0.86 points-per-game average easily eclipses the 0.61 he posted last season, as well as the 0.70 he had in his rookie season, in 2021-22. His somewhat disappointing second season segued into an offseason fueled by workouts and nutrition, and Raymond (5 foot 11, 188 pounds) showed up at training camp last fall around 12 pounds stronger. That's paying off now, as he's withstanding the grind of late-season games that, unlike the last two years, are meaningful.
"I have more experience, and it's learning ways that your body reacts to different stuff, whether that’s food or nutrition, that’s a big part of it," Raymond said. "Compared to my two previous years, this is as good as I’ve felt at the end of the year. Being where we’re at, it helps. You get more energized from it."
That energy was on full display in Pittsburgh, when Raymond tied the game with 5 minutes to go on his third goal and fourth point of the night. Afterward, Dylan Larkin said that, "The way Lucas played tonight was, if you’re looking at a step in his career, that’s a performance that I’m very impressed by and I think it was a good statement to the hockey world."
Larkin has seen Raymond develop since he arrived, but Patrick Kane is a relative newcomer, joining the Wings at the end of November. The three-time Stanley Cup champion knows something about playing in high-pressure games, and sees that ability in Raymond.
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"It's extremely impressive," Kane said. "I think he’s been amazing for us. He’s still very young and still producing at a high level in these important games. That’s where you see some of these young players take the next step. In these important games, they come up, they show up, they play really well. They know how much it means. I think with guys like him and Seider, even Simon [Edvinsson] coming up and playing well for us — Larkin has been the heart and soul of the team, knows how important these games are — they're putting everything on the line to try to win."
Kane, who's 36, reflected on what it is that clicks in a player who starts delivering the sort of performances that have marked Raymond's games down the stretch.
"I think when you’re a young player and you start to realize you can take over games when you have that skill level and that ability, that’s what we’re seeing in him right now," Kane said. "He’s realizing that. He’s taking over games, he’s taking over shifts. Some of his best plays aren’t even the goals he’s scoring or the assists he has — he can control the puck on his stick, he can take it around the zone, he can keep possession. He’s just so strong and dynamic on it."
While Kane is in the twilight of his career, Raymond's sun is just rising. The No. 4 pick in 2020 (the year the Wings were pushed back three spots in the draft lottery, after finishing with the worst record), Raymond is due a contract extension this offseason, as is Seider. The fact Raymond is demonstrating that he delivers when it matters most is going to help secure a deal that projects to have an annual average value in the $7.5 million range. (Seider is likely to come in around $9.5 million. Both are likely to be locked up to the maximum length of eight years.)
That's for general manager Steve Yzerman to deal with in the near future. For those most immediately involved in trying to play past Tuesday's regular-season finale, the way Raymond is winning one-on-one battles and dominating with the puck is what brings value.
"The two years I’ve had with him — I know he had a really good rookie year here — he’s just been building," coach Derek Lalonde said. "He had a really good offseason — I think his body was just maturing, but he put the work in, put on a little extra weight, a little extra strength, and I think that added some confidence to him. He’s just winning a few more battles throughout the 200 feet and now he’s getting more touches, more looks from it.
"You talk about these games being heavy — they’re elevated emotionally, and you see how players are going to react. And he’s one that’s really reacted in a positive — he’s driven us a little bit. So, it’s a really good sign for him and us going forward.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.
Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
Next up: Canadiens
Matchup: Red Wings (38-32-9 entering Saturday) vs. Montreal (30-36-13).
Faceoff: 7 p.m. Monday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit Extra; WXYT-AM (1270).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lucas Raymond's clutch performances a big gain for Detroit Red Wings
