Detroit Red Wings: 2 Biggest Surprises Of The Season So Far

Every NHL team has now played 20 games this season, so we are starting to get a better understanding of what to expect from them moving forward. There have been certain players who have been big surprises thus far and it feels fair to shine a light on them. In this series, we will be looking at two from each team who certainly can be classified as that.

In these piece, we will be focusing on the Detroit Red Wings. This season has been fantastic for the rebuilding squad, as they have a 13-9-3 record and are fourth in the Atlantic Division. Adding these two players to the NHL roster is a massive reason for this.

Lucas Raymond: Every hockey fan that Lucas Raymond has an immense amount of potential. It's why the Red Wings drafted him fourth overall in the first place. However, the 19-year-old has been far better than they could have predicted him to be this quickly. In 25 games, he already has 10 goals and 22 points. If he keeps this up, he will have to be this year's Calder Memorial Trophy winner, right?

Moritz Seider: The Red Wings selected Moritz Seider sixth overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and he just had a fantastic season with Rogle BK of the SHL. However, like Raymond, he's already exceeded expectations as a rookie. In 25 games, he has three goals and 17 points, which leads all rookie defensemen. Again, he's another player with a high degree of potential, but he's already playing like a true top-pairing defenseman so early on in his career.

A lot of high-potential prospects take some time before they play this well at the NHL level, so these two warrant some much praise.

Honorable Mention: Vladislav Namestnikov has been having a very strong bounce back season at the perfect time. The 29-year-old forward has an expiring contract, so he could land himself a solid raise from his $2 million cap hit. In 25 games, he has eight goals and 13 points.

Check out our last article on the Arizona Coyotes.