Three Detroit Red Wings’ players went to the Olympics; only one remains. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are both heading back to Detroit. Both players are disappointed, yet both made their mark on the international stage.
Lucas Raymond made history for Team Sweden with back-to-back three-point games. Still, Raymond had hoped to be competing in the medal rounds. Unfortunately, Sweden and Team USA met up in the quarter-final round. Raymond assisted on Sweden’s lone goal in the 2-1 overtime loss. Consequently, Raymond leaves the games with a four-game point streak, and his 9 points are tied with Mats Sundin for 2nd most by a Swedish player.
Moritz Seider logged heavy minutes in his appearances for Team Germany. In five games, Seider had 2 assists and played over 131 minutes. Accordingly, at the time, he’d played most of any player in the games so far. Still, Team Germany had hoped to be one of the last teams standing with players like Leon Draisaitl and Tim Stutzle in tow.
The positive in all of this is that both players had strong tournaments and appear to be in good health. Detroit has a difficult task ahead, and the loss of either Seider or Raymond would have been devastating. However, both players will likely have a day or two of rest before entering into full contact practice with the team.
Dylan Larkin’s first Olympic goal was big
Dylan Larkin scored his first goal in the elimination game against Team Sweden. That goal was a direct result of Larkin’s faceoff win and dogged work in the offensive zone. Larkin’s offensive numbers haven’t been great, however, his work on the ice has earned the respect of his teammates.
Larkin and Team USA will face Slovakia to determine which medal they will compete for. A win in this game will see the team compete for gold in the final game. However, a loss will relegate them to the bronze medal game. Either way, Larkin stands as the lone Red Wing with an opportunity to add an Olympic medal to his resume.
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Simon Edvinsson is nearing a return
The Detroit Red Wings have resumed practicing, and a familiar face has been back on the ice. Simon Edvinsson underwent surgery, and the time off has allowed him to rehabilitate and heal. However, Edvinsson has not yet been cleared for full contact at this point. Edvinsson is skating in a non-contact capacity at this point, awaiting an update from the medical staff.
The importance of Edvinsson’s availability cannot be understated at this point. Edvinsson and Seider have been hailed as one of the top defensive pairings in the NHL this season. Having both players available will factor heavily into Detroit’s final 24 games. The team is looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Thus, having their top blue line pair back in action is critical to ending that drought.
