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