Red Wings Coach "Not Worried" About Raymond, Seider RFA Extensions
Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde provides a word of reassurance about the contract status of Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider
Wednesday morning, after the Red Wings hosted their annual "Street Hockey in the D" event on Detroit's west side, head coach Derek Lalonde provided a brief update on the subject at the forefront of every Red Wing fans' mind: the as-of-yet unsigned extensions due to twin budding stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, both restricted free agents as of this writing.
When asked whether he could provide an update on the situation, Lalonde said, "Not a whole lot...This is exactly why we have the GM layer, the agent layer...I've talked to them two, three times throughout the summer, and we don't even talk about the contract. That's between Steve and them, Steve and the agent. With us, it's just the same message for all the guys: We wanna progress, we wanna keep building this, we want a little bit more from last year. Obviously those two guys are a big part of it."
While not quite the revelation Red Wings fans were likely hoping for, it was nonetheless another reassurance that Detroit is in no serious jeopardy of losing Raymond or Seider's services this summer. While many fans are no doubt eager to see that set in stone (or ink, as the case may be), Lalonde himself said, "I'm not worried. It's all part of it. I have a little experience with this with past RFAs, so it's all part of the process" in response to being asked directly over whether their contract status was causing him any stress.
Lalonde went on to note that not only is he fully counting on Raymond and Seider for next season but also he expects their roles to continue to grow, specifically by becoming a greater part of Detroit's leadership team.
"I think those two and the role they'll play on our team, I think it'll be a little increased with our leadership too," Lalonde said. "It's something we talked about with those two. [I'm] very comfortable with where the situation is exactly. I sound like a broken record, but this is why coaches coach, managers manage, it's why players have agents—to avoid the layer of what's going on with the contract." With David Perron (who wore an "A" as alternate captain) off to Ottawa, perhaps one or both of Raymond and Seider could wind up wearing a letter in 2024-25.
In the end, while all parties involved continue to wait for a resolution to the offseason's primary drama, the Red Wings themselves—at least publicly—remain unconcerned with Raymond and Seider's contractual status.
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