Lucas Raymond doing it all for Red Wings and leads NHL in key category

While it may have taken longer than fans would have liked, the Detroit Red Wings signed both Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider to 8-year contracts before this year began, signifying that they view them as cornerstone talents around which to build.

And while Seider won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie for 2021-22, Raymond underwent the dreaded sophomore slump that so many players experience in their careers.

That slump is now but a distant memory, as he's emerged as one of the true budding stars in hockey.

Reaching a career-best 72 points (31G, 41A) last year, Raymond is now on pace to smash that mark. Should he continue at his current scoring pace, he'll reach 88 points (34G, 54A).

And right now, he continues to lead all NHL players age 23 or younger in scoring with 44 points. He's ahead of Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle (42 points), Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (38 points), and Utah Hockey Club forward Logan Cooley (36 points).

It turned out to be the correct ultimate result for the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery, though at first, it seemed immensely unjust. The Red Wings had finished with the NHL's worst record by far in 2019-20 (before the year was postponed in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19) and were eliminated from playoff contention in early February.

In fact, their record was the worst in the NHL since the expansion Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-2000, who won 14 games out of 82.

But the Red Wings fell to 4th overall in the Draft Lottery rather than getting the 1st pick and the chance to draft Alexis Lafreniere of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Instead, the Red Wings selected Raymond with the 4th pick, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Lafrenere's career-best has been 57 points, set last year; right now, he's on pace for 47 points.