Finally, the Detroit Red Wings have Lucas Raymond under contract. The 2020 first-round pick agreed to an eight-year extension on Monday.
RAY IS HERE TO STAY 🪒
The #RedWings have signed Lucas Raymond to an eight-year contract with an AAV of $8,075,000. pic.twitter.com/Z0QHtO9K1R
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 16, 2024
Raymond’s long-term deal comes with an $8.075 million AAV and will keep the forward in Hockeytown through the 2031-32 season.
Red Wings fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that Raymond has a new contract. Most were anticipating something would get done prior to the draft. I certainly did – my contract projection model predicted an eight year, $8.125 million AAV pact back in March. But things didn’t pan out that way. Still, the deal got done and Raymond should be at training camp on time, barring any visa issues.
Good Value for Red Wings
When Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis signed his eight-year extension earlier this month, most assumed that Raymond‘s next contract would look similar. Both highly gifted forwards just finished up their entry-level contracts and have similar statistical profiles. Raymond and Jarvis are also cornerstones for their respective teams’ futures.
Ultimately, Raymond got a little more. Setting aside Jarvis’ deferred money, his $63.2 million contract would normally come with a $7.9 million cap hit. Raymond’s $8.075 million cap hit is a shade higher, and certainly within reason.
It’s also a deal that will look better and better over time. With an $88 million salary cap ceiling, Raymond’s AAV represents 9.18 percent of Detroit’s budget. In 2025-26, when the salary cap ceiling jumps to roughly $93 million, Raymond’s percentage will drop to 8.68 percent. Beyond that, we could be looking at salary cap ceilings exceeding $100 million.
In addition, it’s eight straight years of an $8.075 million salary for Raymond. No escalating salary. No lump sum signing bonus payments. Just eight years of predictability both on and off the ice.
Related: 4 Red Wings Who Need to Step Up in 2024-25
It was a clear win for the Red Wings to secure a long-term deal with Raymond, and that’s just what they did.
What’s Next for Lucas Raymond
During the 2023-24 season, we saw Raymond emerge as a play-driver and activate his clutch gene when it mattered most. Moving forward, we should expect more of the same – 70-80 points and serving as one of Detroit’s go-to forwards.
In all likelihood, Raymond will bounce between Detroit’s top two lines. He’s a first-line-caliber player, but he may be asked to drive the second line due to the composition of the Red Wings’ top six. He certainly has chemistry with Dylan Larkin. Alex DeBrincat, too. But Detroit might be a more dangerous team with Raymond, J.T. Compher, and Vladimir Tarasenko manning the second line, giving the team two offensive units to deploy at even strength.
Now that Raymond is under contract—and ideally Moritz Seider, too, in the near future—the Red Wings can turn their attention toward a breakthrough 2024-25 season. Reaching the playoffs should be the goal from here on out. Raymond will be a big part of whether or not that objective comes to fruition.
