Detroit Red Wings

Raymond, Walman out for Red Wings vs. Canucks

Raymond misses first game of NHL career

Published

1 year ago

February 11, 2023

Bob Duff

Out with a suspected lower-body injury, Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond was missing his first NHL game on Saturday.

For the first time in his NHL career, Detroit Red Wings left-winger Lucas Raymond is missing in action. The second-year forward was out for Saturday’s game at Little Caesars Arena against the Vancouver Canucks due to a suspected lower-body injury.

Detroit defenseman Jake Walman will also be missing Saturday’s game due to a upper-body injury. Walman suffered his injury in a shoulder-on-shoulder collision with Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov in Thursday’s 2-1 Red Wings win.

I have a take:

Jake Walman is the most underrated D-man in the NHL. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/hsMNoyd9jL

— Nathan “Grav" (@NathanGraviteh) January 15, 2023

After missing about half of the first period of that game, Walman was able to return and finish the game. However, his issue worsened and he missed Friday’s practice.

Raymond was hurt during that practice in an accidental collision with Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot. He left the ice in pain and did not return. Neither Raymond or Walman attempted to try to give it a go during Saturday’s pre-game skate.

Raymond, second on the Red Wings with 15 goals, will be missing his first game as an NHLer. He’d played 132 consecutive games since making the team out of training camp in the fall of 2021.

Red Wings Shuffling Defensive Pairs

Dominik Kubalik, a healthy scratch for Detroit’s win over Calgary, is being reinserted. He’ll take Raymond’s spot on the left side of the top line with captain Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi. Kubalik and David Perron are tied for third on the team with 14 goals apiece.

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde his doing plenty of juggling with his defensive pairings. He’s going back to his top four tandems from the start of the 2022-23 season. Chiarot moves back in alongside Moritz Seider in the top duo. Olli Maatta slides in alongside Filip Hronek to skate in the second pairing.

The third pair consists of Jordan Oesterle and Robert Hagg. Oesterle was a scatch against Calgary. That same night, Hagg was returing from injury, playing his first game for Detroit since December 8.