Derek Lalonde 'not worried' Detroit Red Wings Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond still unsigned

Training camp is on the horizon next month, and the Detroit Red Wings still don't have their two best young players under contract.

Nothing to fret about, said head coach Derek Lalonde on Wednesday, and he has a point: Defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond are both restricted free agents, which means the Wings own their rights. They aren't going to another team — it's just that getting them signed and sealed with their own team has now dragged into the first week of August.

"I’m not worried," Lalonde said. "It’s all part of it. I’ve had a little experience with this in the past with RFAs. It’s all part of the process."

The process next season sounds like it could include Seider and Raymond wearing a letter on their sweaters.

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Lalonde was at Detroit Parks and Recreation’s Adams Butzel Complex, where he helped a group of Detroit youth ages 6-14 learn the basics of hockey.

"It’s exposing the game," Lalonde said. "Got to start somewhere. To see the kids into it — it was a blast. One wanted to play immediately but doesn’t like the ice, so we ran into a little problem there. But, it was awesome, a great day."

It will be a great day for the organization when Seider and Raymond are inked: The two are crucial to the team's success. Seider plays in all situations and is the team's workhorse, while Raymond is a dynamic winger who was the Wings' best player the last month of the season.

Both are eligible to be signed to the maximum eight-year term — but either or both may prefer a shorter deal that will allow them to renegotiate in a few years when the salary cap will have gone up, potentially allowing for an even fatter deal.

Seider projects to come in somewhere in the $9-10 million range, while Raymond is likely to slot in around $7-7.5 million.

Although it is general manager Steve Yzerman's job to handle contracts, Lalonde has been in contact with Seider, 23, and Raymond, 22, during the offseason.

"I’ve talked with them two to three times during the summer and we don’t even talk about the contract," Lalonde said. "That’s between Steve and them. With us, it’s just the same message as with the other guys — we want to progress, we want to keep moving, keep building this. Obviously those two guys are a big part of it."

Raymond came in last season about a dozen pounds heavier and it showed in his play, as he went on to lead the Wings with 72 points in 82 games.

"He found something in his offseason last year, he came back and he just looked like a different athlete," Lalonde said. "A little of that was just him maturing — he’s still a very young player and naturally his body matured a little bit. But just keep building on what he did last year."

Lalonde's message to Seider was also to keep building. Seider and Raymond are both entering their fourth seasons and, given their importance, each is a prime candidate to join the rotation of alternate captains after David Perron's departure in free agency.

"Those two, the role they’ll play on our team, I think it will be a little increased role with our leadership, too," Lalonde said. "That’s something we talked about with those two over the summer."

Contact Helene St. James athstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter@helenestjames.

Read more on theDetroit Red Wings and sign up for ourRed Wings newsletter. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon,Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.