Detroit Red Wings: Lucas Raymond is similar to Mitch Marner
By Tyler Kotila
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The Detroit Red Wings brass is thoroughly enjoying Lucas Raymond and the talent that he has showcased in his rookie debut season. After making the team out of training camp, Raymond has continued to show that he will be a force to be reckoned with to be sent down or taken off this roster; that ship has sailed.
Instead, the Detroit Red Wings are worrying more about getting him involved and continuing his development to ensure he will be one of the centerpieces of offense for years to come. One of the crucial things to look at is how the roster will be composed in a few seasons.
The Red Wings are investing a lot into Lucas Raymond, and he is going to provide plenty of opportunity for this offense. He’s competing for the Calder Trophy this season, though it seems like Anaheim Ducks rookie Trevor Zegras will beat him out for the top spot.
Looking at Raymond, there’s a real similarity to another big name forward out there, one who has been at the top of the league when it comes to performance, finding ways to get the job done for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Detroit Red Wings Lucas Raymond is comparable to Mitch Marner.
In his rookie season, Raymond has logged 51 games played, where he has 13 goals and 26 assists for 39 total points on the season. An exceptional start for the rookie who’s also shown a great deal of skill every time he’s on the ice.
For the Maple Leafs, Mitch Marner is one of their top producers. Someone who plays in the top-six and usually on the top line, he makes a ton of insane plays and creates scoring chances. In 2021-22, Marner has 17 goals and 28 assists for 45 total points over 40 games played with the Maple Leafs.
Marner is known to be a playmaker and someone who can get the job done. He’s constantly creating ways for the Maple Leafs to manufacture offense and get on the board. On an offensive team like that, Marner brings a lot to the table, and Raymond can do the same here in Detroit.
After watching Raymond settle into the NHL and get past a few learning curves, it’s easy to see his appeal of him as a prospect and why the Red Wings were so high on him. Even in 2020, Marner and Raymond were being compared ahead of the draft.
With Marner being a veteran and Raymond still finding his way, there may not be a huge sample size for comparison, but it is easy to see how Raymond could wind up being very similar. Raymond’s offensive abilities as someone who is a playmaker, provide scoring chances, and has a lot of hockey-IQ is what makes him special, similar to Marner.
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As time goes on, pay attention to Raymond and Marner to see how these two likely continue to wind up being very similar players.