"It's Going To Happen": Todd McLellan Confident Goals Will Come For Lucas Raymond

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Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond followed up the best season of his NHL career in 2024-25 by seeing his point total dip slightly in 2025-26.

After recording 80 points in 2024-25, Raymond missed two games last season and finished with 76 points.

One of the main themes for head coach Todd McLellan down the stretch last season was wanting to see Raymond utilize his elite shot more. McLellan even said he believed Raymond could easily reach the 40-goal plateau if he fired the puck on net more consistently.

So far this season, Raymond remains goalless through the first five games, though he has recorded four assists; he's also tied for 31st overall with several other players with 17 total shots on goal. 

How has McLellan felt about Raymond's performance so far in the early goings of the current campaign? 

"He's been attempting to get more there, I think this year, than last year," McLellan said of Raymond's shot totals. "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." 

"I think it will come for Lucas. His game has been okay. So, the scoring, it's going to happen eventually." 

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Considering the offense the Red Wings lost this offseason with the departures of Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk, they'll need their top offensive players to help fill the void.

Raymond is arguably Detroit's second-most important point producer behind Alex DeBrincat. While there's certainly nothing wrong with racking up assists, Raymond's biggest strength is his ability to find the back of the net, and it's what the club earnestly needs him to do. 

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