The Detroit Red Wings have secured the core of their future, making two massive financial commitments to their star players. Captain Dylan Larkin and rising winger Lucas Raymond have both signed identical eight-year contract extensions, binding them to the franchise for the long term and signaling a firm belief in their ability to lead the team's revival.
Massive Financial Commitments Anchor Red Wings' Rebuild
While neither player has spent his entire career in Detroit, both have now pledged their prime years to the organisation. The deals, worth a combined total exceeding $134 million, establish Larkin and Raymond as the financial and competitive cornerstones of the Red Wings. The confidence from the front office is clear, though the annual values of their contracts place them surprisingly close together, despite being at different stages of their careers.
However, their overall financial pictures are worlds apart. Factors like age, career timing, past earnings, and endorsement potential create a significant gap in their net worth and total career earnings. Let's dive into the details of each blockbuster deal.
Dylan Larkin: The Captain's Premium Payday
Detroit solidified Dylan Larkin's role as the face of the franchise in March 2023 with an eight-year contract extension. The deal is worth $69.6 million, carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $8.7 million. This made him the highest-paid player on the Red Wings roster, a reflection of his consistent production, his status as team captain, and his role on the top line.
Larkin was already a wealthy man before this extension. His previous NHL contracts, including a five-year deal signed in 2018, had already earned him tens of millions. When his current contract concludes, his total gross NHL earnings from salaries and signing bonuses are projected to soar past $85 million.
Lucas Raymond: The Young Star's Life-Changing Deal
More recently, in September 2024, the Red Wings locked in winger Lucas Raymond with a similarly structured eight-year pact. Raymond's extension is worth $64.6 million with an AAV of $8.075 million.
Although slightly less than Larkin's cap hit, this represents a monumental deal for a young player still early in his NHL journey. It successfully secures Raymond as a top-six offensive pillar throughout his peak years. Having entered the league later and played on entry-level contracts, Raymond's career earnings to date are far lower than Larkin's. This new deal dramatically alters his financial landscape, with projected NHL salary earnings from this contract alone expected to exceed $70 million.
Net Worth and Earnings: A Tale of Two Timelines
The core difference in their financial standings boils down to timing and tenure. Larkin, as the established captain and veteran, has a significant head start in career earnings and has had more time to build an endorsement portfolio. Raymond, while now equally vital to the team's future, is just beginning to accumulate wealth at this elite level.
Both contracts demonstrate the Red Wings' strategy of building from within and rewarding homegrown talent. By securing Larkin's leadership and Raymond's ascending talent, Detroit has invested over $134 million in the belief that this duo will be central to ending the team's playoff drought and returning to championship contention.
