On the first day of training camp, Steve Yzerman's offseason work is officially done. The Red Wings have locked up franchise defenseman Mortiz Seider, three days after doing the same with Lucas Raymond.
Seider has signed a seven-year contract with the Wings worth $8.55 million annually, the club announced Thursday. It will pay the former sixth overall pick $59.85 million in total and keep him in Detroit through his age-29 season.
"It’s always a big dream for every player to be in a franchise for a long time," Seider said at the end of last season.
Seider has been the Wings' best defenseman since he arrived three seasons ago and won Rookie of the Year. He plays big minutes against the opposition's top forwards and lays his body on the line like few players in the NHL. He's second in the NHL in blocked shots, 12th among defensemen in hits over his young career. He hasn't missed a game.
He's also produced 134 points in 246 games, solid offense for a player his age.
"I think he's a tremendous young player," Yzerman said after last season. "We haven’t been a great team in his three years here, he’s been thrown in there and he shows up every game. He battles hard, he blocks shots, he gets hit, he makes plays. We’re asking him to do a lot and he’s got the metal toughness to weather it all. To one, get out there and play, and two, to be handle the minutes against top, top players."
The Red Wings are building a young core around 28-year-old captain Dylan Larkin, with the 23-year-old Seider and 22-year-old Raymond serving as pillars. They signed Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract earlier this week. Both were restricted free agents who entered the offseason wanting long-terms deals in Detroit. Mission accomplished.
"It’s not a big secret, I want to be a Red Wing," Seider said after the Red Wings came within one point of their first playoff appearance in eight years last season. "I'm confident enough (to say) that I could be a good asset for this organization, and that really matters for me."