Detroit Red Wings sign Lucas Raymond to eight-year contract - ESPN

The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year contract worth $64.6 million on Monday, marking an average annual value of $8.075 million.

Raymond, 22, was the fourth pick of the 2020 NHL draft, and he has blossomed into one of the Red Wings' best players.

In 2023-24, Raymond's third season in the league, he led Detroit with 72 points (31 goals, 41 assists). All of those numbers marked career bests. He appeared in all 82 games and also set career highs in blocked shots (27), hits (69), takeaways (48) and plus-minus (minus-12).

Through 238 career games, Raymond has amassed 174 points (71 goals, 103 assists) for the Red Wings.

He and young teammates such as defenseman Moritz Seider are attempting to end the Original Six franchise's eight-year playoff drought. The Red Wings went 41-32-9 (91 points) last season and missed the postseason by a tiebreaker for the last wild-card spot with the Washington Capitals.