A highly skilled and very well rounded player, exclusive to the wing. That is what the team who drafts Lucas Raymond can look forward to.
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Standing 5’10, and tipping the scales at approximately 180 pounds, Raymond’s projection are quite varied. He is ranked anywhere from the third best prospect in the class to as low as the ninth. Though he hasn’t exactly seen phenomenal results while playing in the SHL, he has been a force in international tournaments. While playing with Sweden’s U20 team last year, he scored 21 points in just 18 games.
In a scouting report for The Hockey Writers, Alex Chauvancy said: “He’s always chasing the puck. He’s creating havoc for opposing defenders. When he has puck possession in the offensive zone, he thrives on playmaking and ability to create scoring chances. His shot could use a bit of work, but it’s not a detriment. That should come with age.”
Mock drafts across the web hardly seem to agree on exactly where Raymond will end up being selected. USA Today predicts he’ll go at six, while NHL.com‘s mock has him going at seven. Draftsite offers one of the more aggressive predictions we’ve seen on Raymond, showing him going at five. The Sporting News has pegged him as the seventh pick.
Raymond is billed as a legitimate two-way threats, and has incredible offensive instincts. THW even went so far as to say that he possesses “flashes of Zetterberg”, a compliment to his two-way ability. They also went on to compare him top former Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist.
We don’t know what Steve Yzerman‘s strategy will be on draft day, but he will likely at least have the chance to draft Raymond. If he chooses to do so, Red Wings fans should be thrilled with the pick.
In case you missed our other potential target profiles:
