(Photo by Peter KovalevTASS via Getty Images)
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today selected left wing Lucas Raymond in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Raymond has played his entire career so far with Frolunda HC, based out of his hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden. Raymond spent a majority of the 2019-20 campaign playing professionally in the Swedish Hockey League at the age of 17 – as the second-youngest player in the league – producing 10 points (4-6-10) and four penalty minutes in 33 games in his country’s highest professional league. He also racked up 14 points (3-11-14) for Frolunda’s under-20 team in the Swedish junior league, leading his team in points-per-game (1.56) in just nine appearances. He also picked up three points (2-1-3) in six games during the Champions League tournament, capturing a second-straight championship with Frolunda. Raymond made his professional debut at the age of 16, debuting for Frolunda on Dec. 28, 2018 and skating in 10 games during the 2018-19 season, scoring two goals. Raymond has also picked up two points (1-1-2) in four SHL games so far in 2020-21, which kicked off late last month.
A 5-foot-11, 170-pound winger, Raymond has also made a strong impression in international play. As one of the youngest players in the tournament, Raymond tallied four points (2-2-4) at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in a bronze-medal performance for Sweden. He previously starred for his country at a trio of international tournaments during the 2018-19 season, racking up eight points (4-4-8) in seven games as Sweden won gold at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship, seven points (4-3-7) in six games to capture bronze at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and a team-leading seven points (5-2-7) in five games at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he was awarded a silver medal.
As a 16-year-old in 2018-19, Raymond finished second in the Swedish unior league with 48 points (13-35-48) in 37 games. In 54 total games at the under-20 level, Raymond has totaled 62 points (16-46-62), adding 84 points (38-46-84) in 56 games for Frolunda’s under-18 teams and racking up 151 points (71-80-151) over 72 games at the under-16 level between 2014-18. During his time with Frolunda’s junior and SHL teams, Raymond has been a frequent teammate of a pair of Red Wings prospects – center Elmer Soderblom (159th overall) and defenseman Gustav Berglund (177th overall), who were both drafted by Detroit in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
