The Detroit Red Wings are on a roll. They are fighting for a Wildcard spot after their recent 4-1 win over the Rangers on Thursday. But moving forward, the Red Wings will need “all systems go” to keep themselves in the playoff picture.
Even with plenty of momentum, the Detroit Red Wings must keep tapping into that offense. Forward Lucas Raymond was out with an injury sustained before the team got the road trip started, where they came away with eight of ten possible points.
It’s been two weeks since the Red Wings have seen him suit up, last playing against the Flames on February 9th when the team took home the victory. Raymond’s expected to play tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with all signs pointing to him being 100% and back in action.
The Red Wings have to be excited to see no. 23 back on the ice with a nice boost for the team’s forward core. Raymond sustained an injury during practice after a collision with Jake Walman, leading to an Injured Reserve (IR) stint. But he seems good to go.
Detroit Red Wings are slated to get a nice boost of offense in Lucas Raymond.
In 2022-23, Raymond has played in 50 games for the Red Wings, with 15 goals and 18 assists for 33 total points. The playmaking forward has been a bright spot in the team’s offense and has the tools to benefit the team’s top line.
When Raymond is at his best and Dylan Larkin is out there, they can make some magic happen. The two have a remarkable ability to create scoring chances. No shade to Tyler Bertuzzi or whoever else gets tossed on the top line, like David Perron or Dominik Kubalik, but the Larkin/Raymond connection is impressive.
The Red Wings are knocking on the door of a playoff appearance for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Any offense they can bring in to add to the equation is going to help. Not that Raymond is new to the team or anything, but after being out for some time, getting him back into the mix could be huge.
There could very well be some sparks on the top line allowing the team to produce some goals and keep the Red Wings’ offense firing on all cylinders. It will be a nice boost for the offense as Raymond looks ready to return.