Lucas Raymond
Raymond is a second-line winger who still holds a spot on the first power-play unit, and his deployment has shifted several times this season.
Role
Daily Faceoff's line page (fetched 2 Nov, last updated 31 Oct) has him on the second line at right wing with Michael Brandsegg-Nygård and Andrew Copp. It has him on the first power-play unit with Arvidsson, Finnie, DeBrincat and Seider. Inside the Rink's 2 Nov preview, which credits Daily Faceoff, shows the same lines and the same unit. Raymond had a goal and an assist on four shots in 19:18 in his previous game (Inside the Rink). Nate Danielson and Michael Rasmussen are on the third line and the second power-play unit, and those units do not include Raymond. Dylan Larkin is not in the current projected lines. ESPN's page, indexed 14 days ago, lists him on injured reserve. The Hockey News reported he would not play on a recent Thursday amid trade chatter, and Detroit Hockey Now's change log calls him a healthy scratch. I did not find a current account of why he is out or when he returns.
He sits on the first power-play unit, and Inside the Rink's 2 Nov preview cites Box Score Junkie figures of 64.8% Corsi-for and 77.7 shot attempts for per 60. It also credits him with seven goals on 5.5 expected, and says that with Larkin out he is the Detroit player to back. Beat writer Ansar Khan's power-play practice notes, from a stretch indexed about 205 days old, had him on the flank with DeBrincat. The Hockey News, via CBS, noted last spring that he led Detroit forwards in ice time (20:14) even after a move to the third line.
Coach Todd McLellan has moved him around this season. Detroit Sports Nation reported that on Oct. 15 he went to the third line after Detroit started 1-3-2. It noted four assists and a lack of finishing at that point. He is now on a second line that has Copp at center and no established star beside him. The team is 6-5-3 and the lines keep changing, so his even-strength role may not hold.
Where analysts split
The open question is where he plays at even strength. Detroit Hockey Now's change log and Detroit Sports Nation show him moving between the first, second and third lines, and it is unclear whether he returns to a top line if Larkin comes back or is traded. His first power-play unit spot has not been questioned in anything I read.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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