Latest update on Lucas Raymond and Wings’ contract stalemate gets fans upset

Lucas Raymond’s contract negotiations with the Detroit Red Wings are ongoing, though I didn’t get the feeling they were going that well after Elliotte Friedman’s latest update on Friday.

While Raymond’s agent, Peter Werner, recently stated that although the deal isn’t finalized yet, discussions have been progressing toward a resolution ahead of the start of the Red Wings training camp. However, on Friday morning on the weekly 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman explained what Raymond is seeking in a new contract and how general manager Steve Yzerman isn’t on board. The insider spoke about competing comparables that Raymond and his camp might be considering to get a deal done.

“Raymond, I had mentioned the [Seth] Jarvis contract [eight years, $63.2 million] as a comparable. Jarvis is 7.9 [million] in actual cash, 7.4 [million] with the deferred money and the AAV. Because they both have one 30-goal season, Jarvis and Raymond, I thought it was perfect, and I had an agent tell me, I guarantee you that you are wrong in terms of what Raymond’s people—his agent is JP Berry—are looking for. I said, ‘Oh yeah, why do you think I’m wrong?’ And they said, ‘There’s other players like [Tim] Stutzle, who’s at a higher number [eight years, $66.8 million] than Seth Jarvis is. If you’re an agent, you’re going to pick the highest possible comparable, and, in this case, I think it’s Stutzle.”

Friedman suggested that Yzerman has already dismissed that Stutzle deal as an Ottawa issue, but would need to work towards what Raymond could be seeking in Jarvis’ comparables.

Raymond, who remains without a contract as Detroit prepares for the upcoming, isn’t the only Red Wing without a deal. Teammate Moritz Seider is also awaiting resolution and both players have been training together in Germany this summer. This could be another issue thrown into the mix as there are concerns with the logistics of getting recently signed European players to camp. Friedman explained:

“The other thing I’ve heard is I’ve heard some of these players who are coming in from Europe who don’t have contracts yet, once they’re signing, I’ve heard the visas are taking a long time. I don’t know what you can do there. Ultimately, the negotiation’s gotta come first, but someone was telling me it’s taken a lot longer than people were hoping.”

As for Seider, just like Raymond, the Wings are reportedly looking to lock him down with a long-term deal, though a bridge contract lasting one or two seasons could also become a possibility. However, Friedman states that Seider will wind up with the biggest deal of the bunch.

"Seider, all I think about there is I think his number is above Raymond. I just don’t know where this is gonna go here.”

Fans in Detroit have become more and more anxious about these contract stalemates as training camps are just around the corner and the schedule will simply unfold from there.
Raymond’s agent however wanted to reassure fans and recently revealed how his client has been focusing on training this summer ahead of the upcoming season without losing focus because of the contract talks.