On the first day of the World Championships, rising talent Lucas Raymond scored against Detroit Red Wings teammate Alex Lyon, shortly after he was appointed Team Sweden’s alternative captain.
Erik Karlsson, the captain of Team Sweden for this tournament, was recently appointed; Raymond and star defenseman Victor Hedman serve as alternates. The ‘A’ on Raymond’s jumper looks great and fits him well, I must say.
Depending on how the summer plays out for general manager Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings, it shouldn’t be too long before the rising star forward earns the right to wear that ‘A’ on his sweater for the Detroit Red Wings. That could happen as soon as next year.
It could occur organically. Current alternate captain and pending unrestricted free agent David Perron’s future with the organization is up in the air. If he doesn’t return and head coach Derek Lalonde continues to rotate three alternates, Raymond seems like the logical choice.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that in the near future, Raymond and Moritz Seider will have ‘A’s’ stitched over their hearts and a significant part of Detroit’s leadership for years to come.
The World Championships began with Team Sweden defeating Team USA, with Lucas Raymond playing a key role. Raymond beat Red Wings teammate Alex Lyon with a stunning short-side shot early in the second half.
That was oh so beautiful Lucas Raymond🤩#SWEUSA#MensWorlds@Trekronorse pic.twitter.com/QQTuCtarV7
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 10, 2024
Team Sweden skated to a 5-2 victory over the USA. Lyon was the starting goaltender, with Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine serving as the backup. The third goaltender on the roster is former Red Wings netminder Alex Nedeljkovic. Also on the American squad is Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry. Derek Lalonde and Alex Westlund are part of the coaching staff.
Raymond, 22, became a star in 2023-24, leading the Detroit Red Wings with 72 points and a 19% shooting percentage this past season while averaging slightly less than 18 minutes of ice time per game. That point total included 31 goals, which finished second on the team behind Dylan Larkin’s 33, and 41 assists, which were second to Shayne Gostisbehere’s 46.
In my opinion, Raymond’s most noteworthy accomplishment from the previous campaign was his 14 goals in Detroit’s last 18 games and his seven goals and 12 points in the team’s final eight games, all while playing more than 20 minutes a night and keeping a plus-8 rating. That, plus the Red Wings battling to the very end of their last game for a postseason berth. When things become hard, you need your best players to step up, and Raymond did just that during the last few games of the regular season.