Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings is a surprising omission to NHL Network’s Top 20 Defensemen list. This list, compiled by a team of NHL Network writers, counts defensemen like Brock Faber and Mikhail Sergachev among the top 20 in the league.
Seider, per The Athletic, played the toughest minutes of any NHLer last season. Since his debut in 2021-22, he has yet to miss a single NHL game. He leads the team in hits, blocked shots and is second in takeaways behind captain Dylan Larkin. “Locked on Red Wings” ranked Seider the second-most valuable player on Detroit’s roster.
Last season, Seider put up eight goals and 36 assists for 46 points. For comparison, Faber, who appears on the top 20 list, had just 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points for the Minnesota Wild. While offensive metrics only paint part of the picture for defensemen, advanced analytics tell the full story. Faber was third on the Wild in blocked shots, 11th in hits and second in takeaways.
NHL Network Writers Surprised at Seider Snub
Tracy Myers, a staff writer for NHL Network, believes Seider has what it takes to make the top 20 list. “I’m surprised this defenseman didn’t make the list this year,” Myers said. “Seider transitioned beautifully from the European to North American game and won the Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top rookie, in 2021-22. Since then he’s just been steady. He’s been steady in points (42-50 points in each of his first four seasons). He’s steadily increasing his minutes (averaged 25:04 ice time per game, first for the Red Wings and eighth among NHL defensemen).”
Former NHLer and fellow German countryman Rick Goldmann had a lot to say about Seider’s game. “In the NHL, (defensemen) usually play either offensively or defensively, finding their respective roles,” Goldmann told German website Welt Am Sonntag. “Seider, on the other hand, plays the first power play as well as the first shorthanded position. He’s also very physical, throws a lot of checks, and can really impress the opponent.”
“This combination, combining the best of both worlds, is what makes him so valuable—a virtually perfect package.”
Other Notable Red Wings Omissions
Seider isn’t the only notable omission from an NHL Network list. Earlier in the offseason, the network ranked the Top Forwards Under 25. Headlined by Tim Stutzle, the list included names like Macklin Celebrini, Jack Hughes and Matt Boldy. Lucas Raymond, who scored 80 points in 82 games last season, was not on the list.
Matthew Knies, who ended the season with 94 points in 161 career games made the list. Matvei Michkov finished his first NHL season with 63 points in 80 games. In 320 career games, Raymond has 98 goals, 156 assists and 254 points.
Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now was one of many surprised by Raymond’s omission. “What made the first snub interesting is that Raymond had more offensive production (80 points) than any player on the top 10 list,” Allen said. “On the NHL Network Top 20 Wings list, Raymond faced stiff competition. Did he have a better season than No. 18 Filip Forsberg (76)? It’s worth a debate. Maybe you would like to put Raymond up against someone else on the list.”
“Beyond his scoring, the Raymond argument for inclusion is that he is on an upward trajectory in his career. His compete level is a significant asset, and he has developed a knack for producing some big goals.”
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