• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Player Profiles

Lucas Raymond – 2020 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

By Brandon Share-Cohen March 31st, 2020

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
The Hockey Writers 2020 NHL Entry Draft Guide

Lucas Raymond

2019-20 Team: Frolunda HC (#44)
Date of Birth: March 28, 2002
Place of Birth: Goteborg, Sweden
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 170-pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing/Left Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2020 first-year eligible

Rankings

  • NHL Central Scouting: 2nd (Mid-Term Rankings, EU Skaters)
  • ISS: 5th (March)
  • McKeen’s Hockey: 4th
  • Future Considerations: 4th
  • Andrew Forbes’ Top-217 Rankings: 4th (March)
  • Larry Fisher’s Top-300 Rankings: 2nd (March)

Lucas Raymond is a boy among men in Sweden, but you wouldn’t know it with the way he plays hockey in the SHL.

A tremendously smart player who consistently makes all the right decisions on both ends of the ice, Raymond has done everything but produce offensively to create a name for himself among scouts. While he may not have an attractive stat-line to look at, just four goals and 10 points in 33 games this season with Frolunda, Raymond is regularly noticeable during each shift despite playing the entire season at 17 years old.

A good skater with elite straight-line speed, Raymond has the ability to blow past his opposition and use his creativity to develop the play for his teammates. He’s also capable of using solid lateral edge-work to skate around opponents in the neutral zone and blast into the offensive zone with a head of steam.

Lucas Raymond Frolunda Indians
Lucas Raymond of the Frolunda Indians (Photo: Tommy Holl TT)

His skating is more a testament to his creativity than his actual skating ability itself, however, and it’ll be interesting to see how he eventually adjusts to the smaller rink in North America.

The biggest positive that’s visible when watching Raymond is how creative he is as a playmaker and how effortless his decision-making seems to be with each shift. He has a legitimate claim for the title of “best playmaker” in the entire draft class.

Don’t be fooled by the hype surrounding Raymond’s playmaking ability, however, as he’s also an effective finisher and could produce at an elite level in the NHL if he can build on his already-impressive wrist shot.

Related: 2020 NHL Draft Guide

More than just an offensive threat, Raymond is the full package and is capable of playing an effective 200-foot game. This comes with the territory for such a smart player but while so many high-IQ prospects excel in the offensive zone, Raymond has put in the time and effort to excel on both ends of the ice from the wing.

His ability to play bigger than his size suggests is also a plus as he can play both a physical-style of play and a finesse-style of play depending on the situation. His upper-body strength is a surprising feature given his frame and he still has room to improve even further in this area with time and training.

Other THW Draft Profiles

  • Jack Quinn
  • Quinton Byfield
  • Jamie Drysdale
  • Alexander Holtz

Lucas Raymond – NHL Draft Projection

It’s hard to find any scout ranking Raymond anywhere outside of the top-five with most putting him as high as two on their boards and as low as four. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him taken anywhere from pick two to five in this year’s Entry Draft.

Quotables

“He plays a strong two-way game, offering excellent vision, intensity and good wrist shot.” – Mike Morreale, NHL.com

“Another well-rounded player who is capable of playing in all situations and up and down the lineup.” – Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet

“The right-shot Swedish right winger has elite creativity and game-breaking skill. He’s generally viewed as a more natural playmaker than goal scorer but he’s certainly capable of finishing plays.” – Bob McKenzie, TSN

Strengths

  • Playmaking
  • Speed
  • IQ
  • 200-Foot Game

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

  • Production (Should come with opportunity)
  • Skating on a smaller ice surface

NHL Potential

Raymond has all the makings of a legitimate top-line player who can contribute in all situations. His ability to play in all three zones at a high level give him a higher floor than most, though the high-end potential is what makes him a good option early in the Draft.

Risk/Reward Analysis

Risk – 2.5/5, Reward – 4.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 9/10, Defense – 8/10

Awards/Achievements

  • Champions Hockey League Champion – 2019-20
  • U20 WJC Bronze Medal – 2019-20
  • Champions Hockey League Champion – 2018-19
  • U17 WHC All-Star Team – 2018-19
  • U17 WHC Bronze Medal – 2018-19
  • U18 WJC Gold Medal – 2018-19
  • Hlinka Memorial Silver Medal – 2018-19

Interview/Profile Links

  • The Draft Analyst – Steve Kournianos

Videos

  • Tags
  • 2020 NHL Draft
  • Lucas Raymond
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 20th 6:10 PM
Column

Red Wings News & Rumors: Protocol, Rasmussen, Howard & More

Jan 20th 6:00 PM
Nashville Predators

Predators’ Forward Depth Leading to Wins

Jan 20th 5:35 PM
Column

Islanders Weekly: Shutouts, Injury Scares & Scoring Concerns

Jan 20th 4:33 PM
Archives

2010 NHL Entry Draft: 5 Forgotten Picks

Jan 20th 4:15 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

3 Pros and 3 Cons to Golden Knights’ Goalie Split

Jan 20th 4:05 PM
Florida Panthers

Panthers Offense Flourishes but Goaltending & Special Teams Need Work

Jan 20th 3:15 PM
Column

Red Wings Wednesday Weekly: Hockey is Back Everyone!

Jan 20th 2:35 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Seeing Hot Starts From Some but Serious Concerns Linger

Jan 20th 2:20 PM
NHL Entry Draft

2021 NHL Draft Rankings: Baracchini’s Top 75 Rankings

Jan 20th 1:50 PM
Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers’ Goaltending & Defense Among Standouts Through Week 1

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information