I’m beginning to think that the NHL Network and NHL.com simply significantly underrate Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond as a rule.
Earlier this summer, NHL.com completely omitted Raymond from a list of the top 10 forwards under 25 in the NHL, and then he was omitted from a list of the top 20 wingers in the NHL as well, earning a “maybe next year” instead (with the Red Wings being none too pleased about that under-25 omission); Seider also earned a “maybe next year” from the NHL in its list of the top 20 defensemen in the league…
And this evening, when Seider and Raymond were busy taking part in the NHL-NHLPA media tour in Milan, Italy, NHL.com posted a list of their top 25 NHL players born in the 21st century; this time around, both Seider and Raymond cracked the list, but their relatively low rankings are a little surprising:
17. Moritz Seider, D, Detroit Red Wings
The 2022 Calder Trophy winner continues to be one of the Red Wings’ brightest young stars. The 24-year-old had a career-high 46 points and averaged a career-best 25:04 of ice time per game in 82 games last season. And just in case you weren’t sure of his stamina and durability, he’s played every game in each of his four seasons in the NHL. It’s no surprise that Seider was one of the first six NHL players named to Team Germany for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
11. Lucas Raymond, F, Detroit Red Wings
Raymond led the Red Wings with a career-best 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists) in 82 games last season. The 23-year-old represented his native Sweden twice, first at Four Nations (three assists in three games) and then won bronze at the 2025 IIHF World Championship (five goals, six assists in 10 games). Raymond was among the first six players selected to Team Sweden’s roster for the 2026 Olympics.
Continued; the players above Seider and Raymond are less-established, have posted fewer points, and in many cases, they just aren’t as good as, I mean could be interpreted to be less impressive than the Red Wings’ pair of franchise cornerstones.
Thankfully, we’re a month away from the NHL’s 2025-2026 preseason, and the gents in Milan don’t really care about where they’re ranked or whether they’re even mentioned on various lists of players. They’re busy attempting to prepare for dominant 2025-2026 seasons…
But on Friday, they were made to look pretty:
