HEDLUND: Make no Mistake — Lucas Raymond is Absolutely a Top-3 Prospect in 2020 NHL Draft

The scouting community has long regarded Frölunda HC winger Lucas Raymond as one of the 2020 NHL Draft’s top prospects. That gilded reputation took something of a hit in his draft-eligible season though as Raymond had to toil for much of the season on the bench or playing scant minutes in a depth role.

Nonetheless, we at EliteProspects remain steadfast in our belief that Raymond is, well, an elite prospect — we ranked him No. 3 overall in last week’s ranking. Now is the time to explain that conviction, in an industry where Raymond’s stock has dropped significantly elsewhere.

Let’s roll the tape back a bit though and look at everything Raymond accomplished ahead of this season to set the stage.

During the 2017-18 season, Raymond led all J18 Allsvenskan skaters in points with 29 (13 goals an