MLive’s Ansar Khan filed a three-subject notebook article this afternoon, and in his article, he discusses new Red Wings defenseman Nick Leddy’s status as something of a mentor to his defensive partner, one Moritz Seider:
“My biggest message to Nick is just be who you are, be a great pro,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think talking is fine, but what really helps us is when you have great models, great examples that young guys follow.
“Seids has a lot of qualities of being a great pro in terms of his preparedness, his approach. He wants to be a great player. So, I don’t think he needs a ton of mentorship, but it’s certainly good to have a little balance of that.”
The pair made their preseason debut Thursday in a 6-2 victory over Buffalo, each logging more than 21 minutes in all situations while furthering their chemistry.
“We all know how special a player he is,” Leddy said. “He’s got size, he’s got a ton of skill, good skater, really good at making that first play. For me and him, it’s just talking out plays, communicating on and off the ice and really creating that chemistry together so we know what each other is going to do in certain spots throughout the ice and the game.
“I remember when I first got to Chicago looking up to Duncan Keith and all the stuff he’s taught me over the years. It was an older team when I got to Chicago, looking up to all those guys and learning from them was huge for me.”
Continued, with Larkin/Bertuzzi talk and practice lines…
Khan also reports that Saturday’s game is a Bally Sports Detroit Plus game, not a regular BSD game.
