Lucas Raymond is one of three Detroit Red Wings players hoping to help lead his respective nation to gold medal glory in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
While the Detroit Red Wings and their fans had every right to feel they got the short end of the stick by falling to fourth in the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery, it ultimately proved to be a blessing in disguise.
Instead of earning the opportunity to select consensus first overall pick Alexis Lafrenière, the Red Wings dropped to fourth despite posting the NHL’s worst regular-season record in nearly two decades.
With the fourth overall pick, however, general manager Steve Yzerman selected Swedish forward Lucas Raymond, who has since emerged not only as one of the best players from that Draft, but also as a foundational building block for the franchise.
Raymond was one of three Red Wings players selected to participate for their respective nation in the 2026 Milan Olympics; he'll represent Sweden, while teammates Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider represent the United States and Germany, respectively.
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Raymond, who has already arrived along with his fellow Swedes, skated on the club’s second line during a recent practice session.
He was joined by Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm and Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, with New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt rotating into the line.
It also marks the second consecutive February that Raymond represents his native Sweden. During the Four Nations Face-Off, Raymond registered three assists in as many games, becoming the team leader in primary assists.
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