Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson makes a second appearance today, having spoken with Hockeysverige.se’s Uffe Bodin regarding the play of one Moritz Seider, who’s skating for Rogle BK of the SHL this season. What follows is roughly translated from Swedish:
Praises Rogle for the development of the promising defenseman: “Abbot knows what is required”
Only 19 years old, Moritz Seider has stepped into the SHL and has become a key player for Rogle. Now Detroit Red Wings scout Hakan Andersson tells Hockeysverige.se how the promising defenseman ended up in Sweden–and how satisfied the NHL team is with his progress in Angelholm.
“There has been a lot of talk that Frolunda has the best environment for players in Sweden, but I do not know if Rogle is much worse off,” says Andersson.
Germany’s WJC team ended via a meager 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals against Russia. It was still a historic success for German junior hockey, which has never before managed to reach as far as the quarterfinals of the World Junior Championship.
But you should also remember that Germany got there despite starting the tournament with nine players in quarantine due to positive COVID-19 tests–and without two of their biggest stars in defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lukas Reichel.
While Reichel, drafted in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks in October, was stopped by the coronavirus, Seider himself chose to forego the WJC. After being a team captain for the Germans last year, he felt that it would be better for his development to stay in Angelholm and build on his already successful season with Rogle.
THE RELATIONSHIP TO ABBOTTS IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
How did it happen that he ended up in Angelholm?
WHen neither the NHL, AHL or the German League (DEL) started according to their plans last fall, Detroit needed to find another solution for Seider. The most important thing of all was to find a place where he could get playing time and continue to build upon his great rookie season in the AHL last year.
According to Hakan Andersson, Chris and Cam Abbot were an important factor in making it Rogle for Seider. In recent years, they have built a good relationship with the Red Wings. It paid off when the defensive talent became available.
“The Abbott brothers have been very open and good to us when we’ve had to deal with them. They were visiting us at the NHL Draft in Vancouver, and we have always had good dialogue with them. That led to this happening as well,” he explains.
“Rogle has become a good place for young players. The Abbott brothers have leaders who know what it takes to go to North America and play, they play modern and competitive hockey, have solid demands on their boys, and have good training habits. There has been a lot of talk that Frolunda is the best environment for players in Sweden, but I don’t know if Rogle is so much worse off.”
That was also what made Detroit see that it was not wrong to allow Seider to stay in the SHL all season.
“I just think that it’s great fun that he gets to do it,” says Hakan Andersson.
“I can feel that it’s good for him to have that continuity. We have a long tradition of working like that in Detroit, so it’s nothing news. Steve Yzerman (general manager) seems to be of the same opinion. He is interested in the players when they can add things to the NHL. Before that, the most important thing is to create a good environment for them.”
“ROGLE COULD BE GOOD IN THE AHL”
Moritz Seider caught the eye of Hakan Andersson in the autumn of 2018. He and Detroit followed the young German’s progress during his breakthrough season with Adler Mannheim in the German league, and surprised many when they drafted him already at sixth overall in 2019.
Today, few question the selection.
When asked what he has developed most in the SHL, Hakan Andersson answers that Seider has really only gotten better at what he’s already been good at doing.
“He’s always been competitive and physical, but he’s raised it a few notches. I think he’s been good at finding the first passes and he has been good at that now as well.”
“This is a step up from the German league and maybe the AHL as well. I think Rogle as a team would do quite well in the AHL. So he has had to play at a high level. This has led him to put everything together even more and become even better at everything he was already good at. In addition, he has shown evidence of some fine offensive instincts. I cannot say that he will be an Erik Karlsson or John Klingberg, but I can definitely feel that he will play on the power play in the NHL no matter what.”
The guy is still a junior, and plays on the SHL’s best team and plays on the power play. Then he is close.
Near the NHL? Hakan Andersson does not want to anticipate future events, but only states that so far, it looks very good.
“The question is asked about some players, how close to the NHL they are. At this particular time of year, I find it difficult to answer that. Part of becoming an NHL player is that you play well over time. If Seider is as good in April as he is now, then I will feel that he is close. If he checks out, then maybe I’ll have to reevaluate it.”
“But answer this: If you were to take out the seven best defenders in the SHL right now, isn’t he in that discussion?”
If you ask me, he absolutely is.
“Yes, so if Johan Garpenlov got to build a World Championship team with the very best players in the SHL, regardless of nationality, then Seider would probably be part of such a discussion. If you are part of such a discussion, you are a national team player, then you are approaching the NHL. That’s my old measuring stick.”
“So if he looks this good in the spring, plays 20 minutes per game on the SHL’s best team [then], then you do not have that far left [to go].”
Should that scenario unfold, then Rogle probably does not have much time left until its greatest success in team history.
