The small amount of news leaking out about the Lucas Raymond contract negotiations is coming out of Sweden. His agent Peter Werner isn’t reporting any progress, but also doesn’t seem pessimistic.

“We are in the process of negotiating, but have not yet quite reached the goal,” Werner told hockeysverige.se. “We believe and hope, of course, that it will be ready before the camp. That is the objective.”

The Swedish story was translated by Google.

Raymond and Detroit teammate Moritz Seider (also without a contract) have been training together in Germany, according to hockey hockeysverige.se‘s Uffe Bodin.

“I can imagine that in terms of hockey and nice to be with someone who is in a similar position,” Werner said about Seider and Raymond training together.

Swedish player Andreas Larsson is also training with them.

“In the meantime, as he has always done, Lucas focuses on figuring things out to get better,” Werner said.

The RFA class also includes Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman and New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer. It was reduced by one Tuesday when Toronto’s Nick Robertson signed a one-year deal for $875,000. Rumors say the Devils and Mercer may be looking at a bridge deal to get something done.

The Red Wings want to sign both Seider and Raymond to long-term deals, but a bridge deal also could be a possibility.

Detroit training camp is less than 10 days away. The clock is ticking. Can the two sides come together?

“Oh yes, without a doubt,” Werner said, “but to a reasonable agreement.”

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All Detroit Red Wings fans should care about the Jake Sanderson eight-year $64.4 contract with the Ottawa Senators is how it will impact future negotiations with Moritz Seider.

The answer: probably not much.

Sanderson was drafted a year later  (2020) than Seider (2019).  The young Ottawa defenseman, son of forrmer NHLer Geoff Sanderson, opted to go for the security. The Senators want to show fans they are committed to winning with new ownership coming aboard. In theory, there’s some risk here for Ottawa because they are giving him eight years after watching him for only 77 games. But it’s not much risk because it is accepted that Sanderson will be an elite No. 1 defenseman.

This could eventually be a bargain for Ottawa if Sanderson matures into one of the top five defensemen in the game. That’s plausible.

The Seider situation is different. With 164 games on his resume, he’s already fully established as an elite D Man. He’s not getting there. Seider is there, and he’s going to keep improving. Unless the Red Wings surprise us and get Seider signed quickly, the Red Wings will see more of Seider’s potential this season. He becomes a restricted free agent next summer.

Sanderson and Seider will both be high impact performers, but Seider offers an expanded physical level and a beastly presence that raises his value.

The other issue to consider here is nobody knows what GM Steve Yzerman or Seider are thinking here. Yzerman historically doesn’t discuss contract talks publicly. But his history suggests he prefers mid-length contracts to long-term deals. He did give eight years to his captain Dylan Larkin, but it took Yzerman a long-time to arrive there.  Reports said Alex DeBrincat wanted a long-term deal, but he and Yzerman settled on a four-year deal.

Can Seider Land McAvoy Deal?

However, if there is one player Yzerman would be comfortable signing for eight years, it’s probably Seider. The Red Wings seem to be all aboard when it comes to believing Seider is the foundation of the rebuild. He’s the rock on which this team is being built.

The other question to ask here is if Seider will want an eight-year deal. With the salary cap expected to grow sharply soon, it’s possible Seider might be content to go four years with the hope of landing a more lucrative eight-year deal when he’s 26.

People are not in the habit of revealing their negotiating aims while contract talks are going.

Sanderson’s deal matters as a comparable because all deals matter. But Seider will be 23 at the end of this upcoming regular season. If he logs another 80 games, he could have 246 games played when he signs his next contract.

When Boston’s full service defenseman Charlie McAvoy was 23 with 236 games played, the Bruins gave him an eight-year deal worth $9.5 million per season. The New York  Rangers also gave Adam Fox a $9.5 million AAV when he was 23. However, he had already won the Norris Trophy.

The other question worth asking is whether Yzerman will want to give Seider more than Larkin ($8.7 million per season.)

It’s challenging to guess how Seider’s deal will play out. But probably he will want an AAV starting with a “9” like McAvoy’s deal, instead of an “8” like Sanderson’s contract.

The post Sanderson Deal May Not Impact Seider Contract Negotiations appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings and Adam Erne avoided arbitration by reaching agreement on a two-year deal worth $2.1 million per season.

Sportsnet.ca’s Elliotte Friedman reported it first.

Erne, 26, had a breakthrough season in 2020-21,  registering 11 goals and 20 points in 45 games. That projects to a 20-goal season over 82 games. Erne has size, strength and bite to his game. Based on the revamped roster, Erne should be on the third line with Michael Rasmussen.

Defenseman Filip Hronek and forward Givani Smith are the only remaining restricted free agents.  The Red Wings should end up with just under $12 million in cap space left when the season starts.

The post Detroit Red Wings Avoid Arbitration by Reaching Deal with Erne appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Detroit Red Wings feisty forward Tyler Bertuzzi’s value extends well beyond his noteworthy goal scoring. He adds a layer of grit and bravado that others simply can’t provide. He’s never timid about going to the front of the net. The Red Wings play with a bit more courage when he’s in the lineup.

Bertuzzi officially put himself back in the lineup Saturday when he agreed to a two-year contract extension at $4.75 million per season with Detroit.

Earlier in the offseason, Bertuzzi was linked to trade rumors. But the Red Wings were never actively shopping him. As Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman says, he receives calls about many of his players.

The Red Wings have four more restricted free agents (Jakub Varana, Filip Hronek, Adam Erne and Givani Smith) to sign.

Bertuzzi, 26, only played nine games because of injury last season, but is expected to be ready for the start of 2021-22 season. He has established himself as critical to the Red Wings’ rebuild. The former Ontario Hockey League standout totaled five goals in those nine games,. He scored 21 goals in each of first two full seasons with Detroit.

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