Lucas Raymond becomes Detroit's highest Draft pick in 30 years

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings are no stranger to selecting superstar Swedes in the NHL Draft.

Detroit picked Nicklas Lidstrom in the third round in 1989, Tomas Holmstrom in the 10th round in 1994, Henrik Zetterberg in the seventh round in 1999 and Niklas Kronwall in the first round in 2000, and now, the Wings have added who they hope will be their next Swedish star, selecting Lucas Raymond fourth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
[Get all your 2020 NHL Draft news and notes by visiting Red Wings Draft Central]
Raymond is a 5-foot-10, 165-pound winger from Frölunda in Sweden's top league, the SHL. The 18-year-old said he's fully aware of the Original Six club's long lineage of Swedish excellence and is excited to potentially add to that tradition.
"It was extremely exciting," Raymond said less than an hour after hearing his name called in Tuesday night's virtual draft. "I mean, a dream come true. Especially in Detroit, legendary Swedes have played there. I'm so happy and honored to be a part of the Detroit Red Wings."

Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman got a good look at Raymond last spring in the gold-medal game of the U18 World Championship against Russia, and Yzerman liked what he saw.
In that contest, Raymond, who was one of the youngest players in the tournament, scored a hat trick, including a late game-tying goal and the overtime game winner. The dominant showing came against top Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, who was selected 11th overall in the 2020 Draft.
"I saw him that entire tournament. I also had a chance to watch him at the World Juniors and with his club team," Yzerman said. "We think he has all the tools to be an elite forward in the NHL. We think he has excellent hockey sense. Very creative player, good shooter, good all-around skills for the game, very competitive, very smart. We kind of like the whole package. Everything about his game. We don't see any real weaknesses or shortcomings."

Raymond gained major NHL attention during the 2018-19 season in Sweden's SuperElit junior league where he earned 48 points in 37 games, the most ever for a U17 player in that league, according to EliteProspects.com. His 1.29 points per game ranked fifth all-time (minimum 20 games) in the SuperElit, trailing only William Nylander, Henrik and Daniel Sedin and Robert Nilsson.
The undersized winger didn't light up the stat sheet this season, earning only 10 points and 9:38 of average ice time in 33 games, but Raymond was a 17-year-old on Frolunda's five-time SHL championship team which consisted mostly of elite Swedish talent and NHL-aged men.
Raymond said competing among men this past season helped him take his game to the next level.
"I think it has helped me a lot, not just on the ice but off the ice as well," he said. "It's a different game. You really have to be strong in the battles around the boards, and really take what is given. You really have to have that attacking mindset."

Yzerman said he thinks Raymond has the ability and work ethic to develop into an everyday NHL player.
"Filling out, physically developing, getting stronger, going from a teenager to a man," the Red Wings GM said about what Raymond needs to do to compete at the highest level in the world. "You do that through training and through playing. We think he has all the tools and the skills. He just has to put the time and the work in.
"It's a natural evolution of a teenager turning into an adult. We just believe it's a matter of time, and we're confident he'll put the work in and develop the strength and power needed to do the things he wants to do in the NHL."
Raymond got his first glimpse of Hockeytown last summer when he competed in the 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, and the young Swede said he was immediately enamored with the Motor City.
"Yeah, I was in Michigan and I really liked it," Raymond said. "We got to visit the arena and got a tour of it. I was really amazed. It was huge with great facilities. I remember thinking to be able to play in one of these arenas one day would be awesome. To be able to be a part of that is unbelievable."
Raymond said the virtual draft night was a surreal experience as he watched the proceedings unfold with his family at his home in Gothenburg, Sweden. His name was called at 1:41 a.m. Central European Time, but the youngster said he's been waiting 18 years for that moment, so staying up past his bedtime wasn't a big deal.
"I had practice this morning with the team, and then I went home and got a nap because I knew it would be late," Raymond said. "I have practice tomorrow as well. So I rested a bit, and just now staying up in the evening with my family. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible.
"Yeah, it's pretty late here right now. But it hasn't been that big of a problem staying up. I've been pretty excited all night. So, it's been really fun and a special experience with my family here."

Raymond knows the Red Wings are in the middle of a rebuild, but the forward said he's looking forward to helping the Original Six club eventually return to prominence and earn his place in the conversation among former Swedish stars to etch their name into Hockeytown lore.
"I want to win as much as possible wherever I play," he said emphatically. "That's the mindset I have, and I think that's the mindset you need to have. I think every player wants to win, whether they're rebuilding or peaking. You always want to win. That's what I'm thinking about and looking forward to."
First Round Notables:
- Happy New Year: Before the draft began, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the league is targeting a January 1 start date to kick off the 2020-21 season. - Euros Ascending: After 11 Americans were drafted in the first round of last year's NHL Draft, only two U.S. natives were selected in the first round in 2020. - Historic Pick: At No. 2 overall, Quinton Byfield became the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history. - Frolunda Familiarity: The Red Wings picked two of Raymond's former Frolunda teammates in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft, selecting Elmer Söderblom at No. 159 and Gustav Berglund at No. 177. - Huge Haul: The Ottawa Senators (No. 3, 5, 28) and New Jersey Devils (No. 7, 18, 20) each made three selections in the first round. Six NHL teams did not make a first-round selection. - On The Clock: The Red Wings are on the clock with the first pick of the second round, 32nd overall, beginning today at 11:30 a.m. Detroit has nine picks remaining, including three in the second round and two in the third round.