On Sunday, Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider was named the 49th-best player in the NHL today by the NHL Tonight crew on the NHL Network.
Today, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen suggests that Seider won’t spend the rest of his career hovering near 50th place:
No. 49 ranking doesn’t properly reflect the uniqueness of his ability. He is a luxury defenseman, an athlete who comes with more options than we usually see on the standard model.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Seider is big, strong and mean. He can be a punishing physical performer. If you watched him closely last season, there were multiple occasions when would-be checkers seemed to bounce off him. It’s like moving granite when you encounter him along the boards.
He can defend. Seider is still a work in progress, but the instincts are there. He’s only 21 and yet he already has a high level of respect for his defensive responsibility. You didn’t see Seider involved in too much risk-taking.
Seider’s Calder Trophy triumph speaks to his well-rounded first NHL season. Seider’s seven is a modest total, but his 43 assists for an offense that ranked near the bottom of the NHL. He has the shot, and the passing knack, necessary for significant offensive numbers. He’s not Cale Makar offensively, but boasts enough skill to be an offensive catalyst for many years.
Seider is also a natural leader. Even at his age, teammates look to him for confidence. He is already a tone setter for the Red Wings.
Because the full NHL Network hasn’t been revealed. it’s hard to say where we should place Seider on a Top 50 list. Analysis of potential is highly subjective. But we know this for sure: there are not 48 other NHL players that Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman would accept in a trade for Seider.
