The headliner of training camp for the Red Wings might headline their blueline for the next decade: Moritz Seider.
"He’s got a chance to be a really good player," Jeff Blashill said Thursday. "He’s big, he’s smart, he’s got confidence, he’s got some toughness to him. He can play in a lot of situations. So I think he’s got that opportunity to be a really good player. We’re going to give him the opportunity to do that, and then he’s gotta grab it by the horns."
Seider's opportunity starts now. He was paired with top-four defenseman Nick Leddy Thursday in Detroit's first practice of camp, a suggestion of where he might play this season. That would be quite the jump for a player who's yet to play an NHL game, but Seider's been leaping from one level to the next since the Wings drafted him sixth overall in 2019. He was named defenseman of the year last season in the Swedish Hockey League, then won defenseman of the tournament at the World Championships in May.
"He’s a special player," captain Dylan Larkin said Thursday. "You see with him and (2020 fourth overall pick) Lucas Raymond as well, they’re smart players, smart guys, they work extremely hard. You see those high-end skill guys, they’ve played pro, they understand the game. Watching them skate with NHL players, they seem to fit right in and it’s great to see. Both those guys stood out for me today."
Seider also stood out to Larkin this summer when the two spent time together while training in Detroit.
"I took him to a Michigan (football) game and we were all able to go to the Lions home opener, so that was nice to do some bonding. He’s an impressive kid," Larkin said. "He's very polite, he’s got a huge personality, huge smile. He’s going to fit in really well here. He’s excited to be a Red Wing, excited to be in the city of Detroit, excited by the support he sees that we get from our fans.
"He’s going to be a special player, but I really am very impressed with his dedication, his manners, how he carries himself and how he interacts with people."
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A reminder that Seider is 20 years old. A reminder that he'll be 20 on opening night next month, he'll be 20 when the calendar turns to 2022, and he'll be 20 beyond Detroit's 70th game of the season. That he's already this polished says a lot about his potential. On the ice, it helps that he's been playing against men since the age of 17. (Also helps that he's 6'4.) And if he winds up playing alongside a 12-year vet and Cup winner in Leddy, who spent the past few seasons mentoring an impressive crop of defensemen for the Islanders, it will only help Seider further.
"Leds has seen those guys develop, so I think he can impart some of that wisdom to Seids," said Blashill. "And Seids is a real smart, confident person, too. I think there’s give and take. I’m sure there’s some things that some of our defensemen can learn through the interaction with Moritz. That’s the pairing we had today and we’ll see what tomorrow brings, but we think it potentially could be a good paring."
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If that's the case -- and again, a big 'if' -- you can expect Seider to play upwards of 20 minutes per game in his first NHL season. Only three rookies logged that much ice time last year, and all of them garnered Calder Trophy votes on the blueline: Ty Smith of the Devils, K'Andre Miller of the Rangers and Mikey Anderson of the Kings. The former two were first-round picks the year before Seider.
"We’re optimistic that he’s up for the challenge," Steve Yzerman said Wednesday. "I would temper the excitement and the expectations. It’s a huge step going from the AHL or the SHL to the NHL. The reality is, the best players in the world are in the NHL and it’s difficult to play in, more so for goalies and defensemen than for forwards. So we except there to be some learning.
"But I think he’s physically strong enough, I think he’s mature enough, I think he’s got enough hockey sense to play (in the NHL). Can he adapt to the speed and excel in the league? Time will tell."