Red Wings sign Lucas Raymond to monster 8-year contract
09/16/2024 07:08 PM
The Detroit Red Wings have worked to sign Lucas Raymond all summer long. With training camp merely days away, there was some added pressure to get an agreement hashed out. On Monday, the two sides finally came together.
The Red Wings have signed Raymond to a massive eight-year contract extension, the team announced. This new contract carries an annual average value of $8.075 million. Raymond, formerly a restricted free agent, can now attend the team’s training camp and prepare for the new season on the ice.
Raymond is coming off the best season of his career thus far. He led the Red Wings with 31 goals and 72 points in 2023-24. Detroit fought tooth and nail to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Unfortunately, Raymond’s efforts were not enough to secure playoff hockey. Detroit missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker with the Washington Capitals.
Lucas Raymond signs long-term with Red Wings
Lucas Raymond is one of Detroit’s best players. Even before his breakout performance in 2023-24, he was considered one of the brightest young stars on the team. His contract extension on Monday certainly works to show the value Detroit places on his stick.
Raymond and the Red Wings had some tough negotiations this summer, though. At times, it appeared as if Raymond and Detroit were far apart on contract talks. And as the summer continued, fans became anxious as this contract loomed large over the team.
This anxiety doubled when considering the other big contract Detroit has left to sign. Defenseman Moritz Seider is considered one of the best young defensemen in the NHL. And he remains unsigned as a restricted free agent as of this writing. Detroit has a little more than $8 million in remaining cap space to sign their German defender.
Raymond is not the only player to sign with Detroit on Monday, either. Detroit inked forward Jonatan Berggren to a one-year contract earlier in the day. Berggren spent most of his 2023-24 campaign with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. However, he did score 15 goals in 67 NHL games during an impressive rookie season in 2022-23.
Raymond’s signing rounds out Detroit’s top-six forward group. Raymond likely lines up on the first line alongside captain Dylan Larkin and winger Alex DeBrincat. On the second line, the Red Wings turn to J.T. Compher, Patrick Kane, and Vladimir Tarasenko. This is certainly a group that can do some damage on the ice in 2024-25.
The Red Wings are gearing up for an intense playoff push this upcoming season. Signing Raymond allows the team to focus a bit more on the games to come. Detroit kicks off it’s 2024-25 regular season with a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 10.
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