Steve Yzerman, GM of Detroit Red Wings, on a zoom call after being told that he will be fourth in the 2020 draft.
Detroit Free Press
Whenever that Detroit Red Wings are playing again, it sounds as if Moritz Seider will be in their lineup.
Seider was the sixth choice in 2019, the first selection Steve Yzerman made after he was appointed General Manager of the Wings. Seider spent 2019-20 with the Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring two goals and 20 assists in 49 games. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound defender was used in key situations and handled well, showing a mature and well-rounded game. The Wings had planned to call him and give him a handful of games in a Wings uniform, but this plan was established when hockey was closed on March 12th due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now Seider’s shot comes into the camp.
“Moritz had a really good year in Grand Rapids,” said Yzerman in his Zoom call for the lottery design of June 26th. “He’ll get a chance when our season starts. He will have the opportunity to show that he is ready to play. When he’s ready to go, he’ll play. If not, he’ll be spending a little more time in the American Hockey League. But he had a very good year and it is encouraging to see what he has done in his development. “
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The 19-year-old Seider is an important part of the renovation. He’s a good puck mover who shoots right, someone who can run a Powerplay unit. His 22 points and an average of 0.45 points per game ranked second among Griffins defenders, followed by veteran Joe Hickett’s 27 points and 0.44 PPG. Seider averaged 23 minutes per game and showed an improvement in puck handling, net hits, and overall assertiveness.
It was Seider’s second year in a men’s league when he spent his design year (2018-19) with Adler Mannheim in the German top league. He responded well to the physicality of the AHL, sat through checks and showed some bite.
[[[[Steve Yzerman’s hopeful fourth choice in NHL draft may promote Detroit Red Wings reconstruction]
There is a possibility that Seider will play in Germany this year. The AHL is unlikely to play without fans as the economic impact is devastating and the European leagues may start in the fall. This could give Seider an advantage if the NHL considers it feasible to start 2020-21. Commissioner Gary Bettman said it could still be in January, depending on what happens to the league’s plan to return to the 2020 playoffs.
Seider would add dexterity and size to the Wings Defense Corps and may fit into the next season’s top 4 with Filip Hronek (a second round selection from 2016) and veterans Danny DeKeyser and Patrik Nemeth. This would allow offensive defenders to shoot to the right (Hronek and Seider) to be paired with defensive defenders to shoot to the left.
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