Lucas Raymond: The Best Swedish Prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft
Player Overview:
2019-20 Team: Frolunda Indians (SHL), Frolunda Indians U20 (SuperElit)
Position: Right Wing/Left Wing
Height: 5'10
Weight: 165 lbs.
Handedness: Right
Lucas Raymond is most likely going to be a top 5 pick in this year's 2020 NHL draft. He's a premier winger that is already playing in one of the best men's leagues in the world at such a young age. He's a highly-skilled, undersized winger, who is very good in all 3 zones. Although he'll be in Sweden for the 2020-21 season, he'll keep developing into a premier winger for any NHL team to enjoy.
Offensive Abilities
Lucas Raymond is my favorite prospect heading into the 2020 NHL draft. He's a dynamic winger who can do a lot of things really well. He's an explosive skater, a player with really good vision and good playmaking. When he gets the pass from a teammate in his own end, he'll use his explosive first few steps to exit his own zone and head to the offensive zone. He can brush off defenders well due to his exceptional agility. When he's in the offensive zone, Lucas can drive to the net or he can lurk around waiting for someone to get open. In the offensive zone, he can chase after the puck in the corners. Although not having the most amount of weight on his frame, he can lose the battles along the boards. At least he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the puck into the net. Overall, Lucas Raymond is an exciting player to watch on the ice and should be an impact player at the NHL level!
Defensive Abilities
Lucas Raymond is an alright defensive forward. He's no Anton Lundell, but that's not his job. His job is to score points. He can, however, grind along the boards in his own end to help out his defenders by trying to get the puck out of the defensive zone. He does get knocked off the puck more than say junior players, because Lucas Raymond plays in a men’s league against men, and not people in his age range. Over time as he gets older, bigger, and stronger, he can start to win more puck battles against people older than him.
Projection and Comparison
I do believe that Lucas Raymond probably needs at least one more year in Sweden to get bigger and stronger as a hockey player. He's only 165 lbs, so working out in the gym more and getting more experience in the SHL wouldn't be a bad idea. I think he can be a top-line winger on an NHL team purely due to his offensive upside. In a career year, he can probably hit around 90ish points with the right coaching and linemates to support him. If I had to give a comparison, Lucas Raymond has similarities to guys like David Pastrnak, Mitch Marner, Johnny Gaudreau, and Artemi Panarin.
Here is a video showing Lucas Raymond highlights:
By: Luka Tkalcevic (Instagram: luka_tkalcevic, futurehockeystars)
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