Red Wings Coach Opens up on 2 Star Players Still Being Unsigned

Getty Detroit Red Wings coach opens up on Lucas Raymond still not being signed.

Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde says he isn’t worried that Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider still aren’t signed.

Raymond and Seider are both RFAs and have yet to sign with the team. It has caused some Red Wings fans to be considered as they are two of Detroit’s best players.

Yet, even with training camps opening in a month, Lalonde still isn’t worried that neither of them are signed.

“I’m not worried,” Lalonde said to The Detroit Free Press. “It’s all part of it. I’ve had a little experience with this in the past with RFAs. It’s all part of the process.”

Even though it is Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman’s job to negotiate the contracts, Lalonde says he still has been in contact with both of them.

“I’ve talked with them two to three times during the summer and we don’t even talk about the contract,” Lalonde said. “That’s between Steve and them. With us, it’s just the same message as with the other guys — we want to progress, we want to keep moving, keep building this. Obviously, those two guys are a big part of it.”

Last season, Raymond skated in 82 games recording 31 goals and 41 assists for 72 points. The Swede was drafted fourth overall in 2020 by Detroit.

Seider, meanwhile, skated in 82 games recording 9 goals and 33 assists for 42 points last season. The defenseman was drafted sixth overall in the 2019 NHL draft.

Red Wings Coach Heaps Praise on Raymond

Raymond has been a key player for Detroit’s offense since his rookie season in the 2021-22 season.

However, last season, Raymond had a breakout year as he had a career-high in goals, assists, and points. Raymond’s 72 points led Detroit in points last season.

According to Lalonde, he says Raymond did a lot of work in the offseason to really take his game to the next level.

“He found something in his offseason last year, he came back and he just looked like a different athlete,” Lalonde said. “A little of that was just him maturing — he’s still a very young player and naturally his body matured a little bit. But just keep building on what he did last year.”

Raymond is projected to get a contract in the $7-$7.5 million range.

Lalonde Believes Seider & Raymond Will be Their Leaders

Although the Red Wings went out and signed a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Vladimir Tarasenko and brought back Patrick Kane, Lalonde thinks Raymond and Seider will both be leaders for Detroit.

“Those two, the role they’ll play on our team, I think it will be a little increased role with our leadership, too,” Lalonde said. “That’s something we talked about with those two over the summer.”

The Red Wings failed to make the playoffs last season as Detroit hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2015-16 season. However, Yzerman believes the team will be competing for a playoff spot this season.

“I think we’re in that group of teams that if we stay healthy, our goaltending is good, and some players outplay their expectation, we might get in. Or you might just miss by a point on the last game of the season,” Yzerman said.

Detroit will open its 2024-25 NHL season on Oct. 10 at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins.