The Detroit Red Wings have notably excluded Lucas Raymond from the recent NHL.com list of the top 10 players under 25, which is surprising given that Raymond outperformed every player featured on that list. Despite the Red Wings posting one of the worst NHL records during the challenging 2019-20 season, Raymond, a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft, has emerged as a rising star. Last season, he set a personal best with 80 points and is nearing a historic milestone in Red Wings history.
Raymond is close to joining the exclusive group of Red Wings players who scored 100 goals before turning 24, becoming just the 10th player in the franchise to reach this achievement. The most recent player to do so was Dylan Larkin in the 2019-20 season. Other notable players who have reached this feat include Hall of Famers like Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Gordie Howe, Marcel Dionne, Ted Lindsay, Dale McCourt, John Ogrodnick, and Petr Klima.
As Raymond prepares for his second year under an eight-year contract signed last September, he shares a similar rookie timeline with teammate Moritz Seider, who joined the NHL in the 2021-22 season. If his upward trajectory continues, his current 80-point season may soon seem like just the beginning of his career.
Fan Take: Lucas Raymond’s impressive performance signals a bright future for the Red Wings and offers fans hope for a return to prominence. His emergence is vital not only for Detroit but also for the NHL, as fresh young talent like Raymond keeps the sport dynamic and exciting.
