Report: Raymond, Red Wings Far from Extension & Berggren Trade Likely

According to reporting from The Fourth Period, the Red Wings have some heavy lifting to do with their Swedish RFAs

The Case for a Long-Term Raymond Extension

In a round up of Restricted Free Agency news around the league, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta delivered bad news to Red Wings fans with respect to their too Swedish RFAs, Lucas Raymond and Jonathan Berggren. According to Pagnotta, Raymond and the Red Wings are "not close" on an extension, while Detroit is also "likely" to trade Berggren before training camp once he arrives in the city this weekend.

So, how seriously should Red Wing fans take each piece of reporting?

Let's start with Raymond. Here, what stands out is an absence of detail. To say they are "not close" on an extension is certainly an attention-grabbing assessment of a situation that has of course grown concerning to Detroit fans by virtue of dragging across the offseason to the point that we are within a month of camp and Raymond (as well as Moritz Seider) still doesn't have a new contract. However, what does "not close" really mean? We have no sense of whether term or the annual dollar figure is the hold up. "Not close" is also a phrase that leaves plenty of room for subjectivity. If a deal comes soon, that gap could be said to be closed in a hurry. If it doesn't, the report becomes reality.

Then, as with any piece of anonymously sourced reporting on league transaction news, it's worth thinking about where the information came from. In this case, that's fairly clear. Steve Yzerman and his team would have no reason to share this information, while for Raymond and his camp, there is perhaps some measure of negotiating leverage to be gleaned from whatever panic it might stir up.

The reality is that for all practical purposes, from now until at least training camp, the progress of these negotiations is more of a binary than a spectrum. Raymond has a new contract or he doesn't, and the same applies to Seider. As it stands, there is still plenty of time to get that deal done, regardless of how imminent it appears at the moment. However, with each day that passes without an agreement, the pressure does turn up degree-by-degree.

As for Berggren, Pagnotta has been reporting that Detroit wants to move him, or at least is considering it, since December. Obviously, that trade hasn't actually come yet, and, while August tends to be a dead period as NHL transactions go, we've seen a relative flurry of action in the past week, so perhaps the Red Wings could be next up.

Berggren himself indicated earlier this month that his mind is focused on another season in Detroit, saying "You never want to say for certain, but I've only talked to Detroit and they have my rights. I've had talks with them and the coach and everyone. The feeling is positive. [Derek] Lalonde called and I've also chatted with the assistant coach. Good talks. It's nice that they call and check in on how you're doing and your thoughts about the upcoming season. It feels positive."

There is clearly more of a void in the lineup for Berggren to fill than there was this time last summer, but it also wouldn't be entirely surprising for both sides to conclude that the best solution for everybody is a fresh start elsewhere after a frustrating sophomore season.