The Athletic’s Max Bultman discusses the Red Wings’ trio of superb rookies helping power the team forward this season in Alex Nedeljkovic, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider:
Seider, Raymond and Nedeljkovic are certainly not the only three stepping in big moments for Detroit. Bertuzzi’s enormous third period in Buffalo set up Seider’s game-winner. Larkin is tied for sixth in the NHL in game-winning goals, with three, and remains Detroit’s heartbeat. Thomas Greiss and Erne were shootout heroes Wednesday. The list goes on.
But the three rookies have been so impactful, so quickly, that the Red Wings suddenly have the feel of a team that finds a way — whether it’s pulling out a win, or steadying a teetering run of play like they faced coming home from Arizona.
They were building toward that at times last year, so it’s not totally new. And of course, it’s still too early in this season to be too definitive about any of this. But if the energy around these Red Wings feels different, it’s at least partly because these three rookies have helped make it that way.
“What helps bring energy up is knowing that you have really good players in your locker room,” Blashill said. “And obviously, there’s been a real infusion of talent with those three players.”
Continued (paywall)
