Derek Lalonde shares update on missing forward Lucas Raymond.

Detroit Red Wings fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief... at least for now.

There was some concern regarding the status of recently signed forward Lucas Raymond on Saturday morning after Raymond was notably absent from practice, but the team's head coach has quickly put any concerns to rest.

Although Raymond was not on the ice on Saturday, Lalonde informed reporters following the team's morning skate that Raymond was merely taking a maintenance day and was otherwise doing fine. Lalonde also indicated that Raymond should be ready to go for Monday's preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres. Obviously if there was any kind of genuine concern here, they wouldn't risk Raymond playing in a preseason game.

Most of the concerns seemed to stem from the fact that Raymond was on the receiving end of a questionable hit from Chicago Blackhawks rookie forward AJ Spellacy, who many felt stuck his knee out on Raymond earlier this week. While that did lead to some rough stuff on both sides, it would appear that any concerns about Raymond having been injured on the play may be unfounded.

You can hardly blame fans in Detroit for being concerned however, given that Raymond is a hugely important part of what the Red Wings do offensively. Combine that with the fact that Raymond just signed an 8 year deal that sees him counting for $8.08 million against the cap this season, and it is very understandable why there were some concerns.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to Monday's game against the Sabres.