from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Lucas Raymond impressed enough during the preseason to apparently earn not only a place on the Detroit Red Wings’ opening-night roster, but also a spot on the top line.

Raymond practiced with Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi on Monday, and that is where it appears the 19-year-old fourth overall pick from 2020 will make his NHL debut Thursday in the season-opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit).

“Larks gives anybody he plays with pace; one thing Lucas has to continue to learn is to play at that higher pace,” coach Jeff Blashill said Monday. “He’s a really smart player that has to move his feet more to go get pucks, to pressure. But Larkin kind of forces you to play at a pretty high pace.

“Potentially, we like the look of that line. Bert goes and gets the puck a lot. Larks brings that pace high, and Lucas is a really smart, savvy offensive player. But we’ll have to continue to watch it and see.”

Raymond’s performance, in part, also influenced the Red Wings’ decision to release 34-year-old right wing Bobby Ryan from his tryout.

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