The Detroit Free Press’s Ryan Ford was tasked with writing “Everything You Need to Know About the Detroit Red Wings’ 2021-22 NHL season” today. Among his notes and quotes:
The new kids
In general manager Steve Yzerman’s third season leading the franchise, Wings fans will finally get to see the results of his early drafts with his first two first-rounders making the opening-night roster:
Moritz Seider: A surprise pick at No. 6 overall in 2019, Seider has grown into a defenseman with the potential to dominate. As a 19-year-old, he had two goals and 20 assists with a minus-5 rating in 49 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL. The Wings farmed him out to Rögle of the Swedish Hockey League in 2020-21 to ensure he had a full season of work; in 41 games, he posted seven goals and 21 assists and was named the league’s top defenseman. With the Wings, expect to see him paired with defenseman Nick Leddy (we’ll get to him in a bit), who should provide some veteran leadership.
Lucas Raymond: The No. 4 pick in 2020 also spent the 2020-21 season in Sweden, though unlike Seider, he’s a native Swede. As a 18-year-old, he had six goals and 12 assists in 34 games with Frölunda of the SHL. Raymond was even more impressive in the preseason with the Wings over the past month, leading the team with six points (two goals, four assists). He should get a chance to impress early in the regular season, too, as he’ll likely be paired with Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi on the Wings’ top line.
