Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen prepares us for New Year’s Day with a top 10 list of the best things to happen to the Red Wings in 2021:
1. Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider Arrive: General manager Steve Yzerman’s first two first-round picks made the big club this fall and had instant impact. These two players are the foundation blocks of Detroit’s rebuild. Seider is already the team’s No. 1 defenseman and Raymond is the team’s most dangerous goal scorer.
Neither player was ranked No. 1 in their draft year, but both could end up as the best players from their draft class.
When Seider is fully developed, he will be a beastly force offensively and defensively. He can hit, defend, lead, create offense and score goals. Watch him closely: you will see a smart player who helps his team win in a variety of ways.
Raymond has a Brett Hull-quick shot release. But long-time Red Wings executive Jim Devellano told Detroit Hockey Now that Raymond reminds him “a little bit” of Yzerman.
2. Yzerman Drafts Simon Edvinsson: Yzerman did it again last summer. He drafted defenseman Edvinsson sixth overall and the player has a chance to become the best player selected in the draft. He is having a memorable season in Sweden’s top league. He’s 6-foot-4 and can skate magnificently. He takes more offensive risks than Seider.
Before the recent World Junior Championship was postponed, Seider scored a coast-to-coast shorthanded goal against Russia that put his skating on display. He created a takeaway at his blue line and then flew up the ice.
Edvinsson is still a raw teenager. But rival teams believe Edvinsson will end up playing for the Red Wings next season, even if he starts the season in Grand Rapids.
