NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale lists 6 rookies who “are capable of combining offense and physical play,” and as you might expect, one of the players listed is one Moritz Seider:
Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings: The 20-year-old, selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 draft, leads all rookie defensemen in assists (18) and points (21), and is first among all rookies in power-play points (eight), blocked shots (58), and average ice time (22:27) in 33 games. He’s also third among all rookies in points. Seider (6-4, 197) is second among NHL rookie defenseman with 14 takeaways, and fourth with 46 hits. In 41 games with Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League last season, he scored 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists), led the club with 91 hits and was third with 45 blocked shots.
“He’s got a definite toughness to him, physicality side to him,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “If you search the internet, you’ll see a loop of huge Niklas Kronwall-type hits he had last year in the Swedish Hockey League. I think he’s got to get stronger and thicker to do that in the National Hockey League still, but he’s got that edge to him for sure. He can punish people from a physical standpoint, so he definitely has that in him.”
