Lucas Raymond, the Detroit Red Wings winger, is officially off the first line and skating with the third, a move that screams “wake-up call” after he’s put up zero goals this season. This isn’t just a slow start, either, because Raymond hasn’t lit the lamp in 13 straight games, a cold streak that stretches all the way back to last season. His last goal came way back on April 2, and yeah, that was against Philadelphia.
Zero Goals in Six Games: The Numbers Don’t Lie
It’s rough out there for Raymond. In six games this season, he’s got zero goals, four assists, and a minus-4 rating. That’s just not good enough for a first-line guy. Head coach Todd McLellan made the demotion official on Wednesday morning at practice, moving Raymond down two lines. Ansar Khan from mlive.com was there to catch the new look. The first line now features Viktor Arvidsson, Dylan Larkin, and Nate Danielson. The second line, with Alex DeBrincat, Emmitt Finnie, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, stays untouched. Raymond is now skating on the third line alongside Michael Rasmussen and Andrew Copp. Sheldon Dries, J.T. Compher, and Keegan Kolesar make up the fourth line. You gotta wonder if this shake-up is exactly what Raymond needs to snap out of this goalless funk.
Still on the Power Play? McLellan’s Faith in Raymond
Despite getting bumped to the third line, Raymond still has a lifeline: he’s on the first power-play unit, at least for now. He’s out there with Larkin, Arvidsson, DeBrincat, and Moritz Seider. Detroit’s converting on 20 percent of their power-play chances this season, so it’s not like they’re struggling there, but it’s a spot where Raymond can still make a difference. McLellan clearly hasn’t thrown in the towel on him. Just a day before the demotion, McLellan told Michael Whitaker of The Hockey News, “He’s been attempting to get more there, I think this year, than last year. He’s been a little bit snakebitten; there were a couple of really good power play shots that, even in Montreal, the goaltender made an outstanding save.” The coach seems to think it’s just a matter of time, adding, “I think it will come for Lucas. His game has been okay. So, the scoring, it’s going to happen eventually.”
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 15, the Red Wings are facing the Philadelphia Flyers. Talk about a golden opportunity for Raymond to break this dry spell, right? The Flyers are literally the last team he scored against. What a wild setup for a comeback.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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