The Detroit Red Wings’ situation has gone from messy to downright unstable, and Lucas Raymond is the next name that could blow it wide open.
With Dylan Larkin requesting a trade and losing the “C,” Steve Yzerman shifting into a Senior Advisor role, and the GM search dragging all the way into the season before Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM, Detroit has already taken on enough turbulence for one year. Then the Simon Edvinsson situation hit.
He spent the summer trying to work out a new deal, but with no GM in place, there was nobody to negotiate with. He showed up to camp without a contract, left without one, and has since gone back to Sweden to keep skating.
Reports now say he prefers a trade out of Detroit rather than signing long-term.
If Larkin and Edvinsson both want out, a full rebuild starts to look less like a choice and more like the only path forward. And if that happens, Raymond becomes the most intriguing domino on the board.
Raymond is the kind of player who changes a market fast. He’s a right-shot winger, 24 years old, and his production is already star-level: 76, 80, and 72 points over his last three seasons.
He’s also locked in for six more years at $8.075M AAV, which is a massive bargain in today’s contract landscape. Detroit doesn’t want to move him, but the pressure around the organization could push them there anyway.
The Edvinsson situation reportedly hasn’t sat well with the Swedish players, and Raymond is said to be frustrated with management and the team’s direction. When the captain and the top left-shot defender are both asking out, it’s fair to wonder how long Raymond wants to stay for the next chapter.
That’s where Edmonton enters the picture.
The Oilers need another real top-six scoring threat, and their early-season injuries have made the right-wing depth problem impossible to ignore. Their core is also getting older, which makes long-term additions more important than ever. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will eventually age out of top-six roles, and Edmonton needs players who can grow alongside McDavid and Draisaitl rather than just patch holes for a season.
Raymond checks every box. The Oilers have the kind of movable pieces, future picks, and cap flexibility - once healthy - to make a serious run at him.
Detroit would have plenty of reason to value draft capital from years where Connor McDavid might not even be in Edmonton, especially if those picks turn premium. On the ice, Raymond would immediately steady the right side, give the Oilers a cleaner top six, and allow Draisaitl to move back to centre full-time.
Here’s the proposed deal:
Red Wings receive: Isaac Howard
Spencer Stastney Trent Frederic
2028 1st round pick 2029 1st round pick
2027 2nd round pick
Oilers receive: Lucas Raymond
Detroit would be looking at a serious future package. The second-round pick comes in the upcoming draft, then first-rounders in 2028 and 2029.
If McDavid leaves before 2029, that pick could become extremely valuable. Isaac Howard would be the centerpiece, and he brings real upside after an AHL All-Star rookie season.
As a former first-rounder, he looks ready to make the jump, and Detroit could give him top-six minutes right away. Trent Frederic adds dependable depth on a reasonable deal and has been one of Edmonton’s best depth forwards this season.
Spencer Stastney gives the Red Wings another young defender, which matters if Edvinsson is moved.
For Edmonton, the return is obvious: a legitimate top-line right winger in his prime. Raymond could slide in with McDavid or Draisaitl and help form a top six that includes Matt Savoie, Hyman, and Vasily Podkolzin. Nugent-Hopkins would move down the lineup and onto PP2, spreading the offense across the roster.
Detroit might push for Matt Savoie instead of one of the picks, and Edmonton would listen, but the draft compensation would need to change.
The closest comparison here is Brady Tkachuk’s blockbuster to Florida, which brought back three firsts and a second. Tkachuk doesn’t score as much as Raymond, but he brings a physical edge teams value, and he’s three years older.
Both players are on team-friendly deals at nearly the same money. Mason McTavish also went for two firsts at the last draft, but he’s younger, cheaper, and doesn’t produce at Raymond’s level.
That’s why the added value in this framework makes sense.
In the end, this kind of move fits both sides. Detroit gets futures, a young NHL-ready scorer in Howard, and enough depth to help steady the roster while they reset.
Edmonton gets the kind of prime-age talent that can keep its window open and help keep McDavid in Edmonton. It’s a swing, but it’s the kind of swing that makes sense when one team is staring at a rebuild and the other is chasing a Cup.
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The challenge is sharper because Detroit is trying to recreate last seasons special-teams success without two of the biggest reasons it worked. The Red Wings have spent the early stretch adjusting without Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin, and the missing firepower has made every chance feel a little heavier than it should this early in the schedule. For a team that wants its top end to set the tone, the expectation is already clear, even if the answers are still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]