Raymond displaying maturity, work ethic for Sweden at 4 Nations Face-Off

MONTREAL -- Lucas Raymond is enjoying the moment.

The 22-year-old Swedish forward has been known to produce at international tournaments, and the 4 Nations Face-Off has been no different.

“It’s always an honor representing your country, playing in big-time tournaments against big-time players,” said Raymond, who has three assists in two games. “It’s always fun measuring up against them, and obviously playing with the talent we have on our team is a lot of fun.”

Sweden has two points in the best-on-best tournament after 4-3 overtime losses to Canada on Wednesday and Finland on Saturday. It will face the United States in each country’s third game of the 4 Nations Face-Off at TD Garden in Boston on Monday (8 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, SN, TVAS).

International competition is no stranger to Raymond, who had 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 19 IIHF World Junior Championship games. He has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 18 World Championship games.

He won gold with Sweden at the World U-18 Championship in 2019 (13 points in 11 games), and bronze at the 2020 World Juniors (four points in seven games) and 2024 World Championship (nine points in 10 games).

“This is the third tournament I’m coaching Lucas Raymond. He was great the first one, he was even better the second one and now he looks even better in the third one, said Swedish coach Sam Hallam, who had Raymond on the 2023 and 2024 World Championship teams. “He’s just taken a step to become an elite player in this league and he plays with that confidence.”

So, where has Raymond taken those steps?

“If you go back, I think he’s been one of the best players in the world at his age for a long, long time, so he’s always been a great player,” Hallam said. “I think when you see him on the ice, you forget how young he is. But just as that skill has been there the whole time, the work ethic has been there the whole time.

“Now it's just the full confidence in himself, just trusting himself, making the right plays, meaning if he needs to chip the puck, he chips the puck. If he gets some room, he makes the play. So, just decision-making, maturity and confidence are the parts of just seeing him grow over the last two years.”

Raymond has also shown that talent with the Detroit Red Wings, who selected him with the No. 4 pick at the 2020 NHL Draft. He has 233 points (92 goals, 141 assists) in 293 games with the Red Wings, who signed him to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract ($8.076 average annual value) on Sept. 16.

He leads Detroit this season with 59 points (21 goals, 38 assists) in 55 games. Forward Dylan Larkin, who’s playing for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, is second with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists).

Raymond has been playing right wing on Sweden’s third line with left wing Jesper Bratt and center Joel Eriksson Ek at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“Just watching him, from every time I see him, I feel he’s taking steps and steps and steps and keeps getting better and better,” Eriksson Ek said. “The plays he makes, I think he’s going to be a very special player.”

Bratt used the word “dynamic” several times to describe Raymond.

“Such a smooth skater. He becomes an offensive threat every time he comes on the ice,” Bratt said. “He’s really a guy who can get the puck wherever and can make something happen out of it.

“He’s so dynamic and a really fun player to play with. Our chemistry’s going to get better and better the more the tournament goes on. I get to see it in practice and games, too, how dynamic he is.”

It won’t be long before Raymond is back with the Red Wings (28-22-5), who are making a push to appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. They currently hold the second wild card from the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins.

“I mean, it’ll be exciting for sure,” he said. “We’re striving toward our goal to getting back to what Detroit has been, and I feel like we’ve taken steps every year and continue to get better as a team. I think everyone’s excited to get going after the break.”