Entering his 3rd season, Lucas Raymond’s anticipation is excited about the team’s direction!
He’s going to be one of the players that the Detroit Red Wings will be looking to this upcoming season for offense, and he’s liking the direction of the team. Lucas Raymond will be entering his 3rd NHL season when Detroit hits the ice later this month for training camp and the exhibition schedule, and he’s anticipating making plenty of believers out there in what they can accomplish.
Detroit Red Wings F Lucas Raymond is excited for the additions made by Steve Yzerman
Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman was extremely active this summer, making several additions to the roster that included signing J.T. Compher, Daniel Sprong, Shayne Gostisbehere, Christian Fischer and Justin Holl while trading for Alex DeBrincat and Jeff Petry.
“You’re excited,” Raymond said of the new players in town. “I feel like we’re building something really good. If you look at my first year, which is only two years ago, compared to now coming into this season, I feel like it’s a huge difference. I think every player and also the city is very excited for the season.”
He enjoys the competition with his teammates
This isn’t the first offseason that Yzerman has gone on a major shopping spree. Last summer saw the arrivals of veterans David Perron, Andrew Copp and Dominik Kubalik up front, which Raymond could have interpreted that his role would be lessened.
“You can look at it from a lot of different perspectives,” said Raymond. “For me, I feel like we took a step last year in a lot of areas, and I want to develop as a player, but mostly I want our team to move in a direction that is fun.
“It created a lot of competition in our team in a lot of different spots, which was good for us. It made everyone want to take a further step, want to play better and develop, and I think that benefits everyone. I think competition is good; I think it drives you forward. That was kind of my mindset.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- Red Wings F Lucas Raymond is entering his 3rd NHL season
- GM Steve Yzerman has made several offseason additions to the Red Wings roster, putting them in a better position to compete for a postseason spot
- Lucas Raymond’s anticipation and excitement for the upcoming season as well as the direction of the team is what fans will like
Bottom Line: Everybody still loves Raymond
While Raymond’s production dipped a bit in his sophomore season, it’s not something that plenty of other productive NHL forwards haven’t gone through themselves, and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t bounce back with renewed effort and focus in his 3rd NHL year.
The Red Wings open Training Camp in Traverse City on September 20, with their first preseason action taking place back in Detroit on September 26.
