The Moritz Seider media tour continues as the Detroit Red Wings star defender continues interviews in preparation for the regular season. Yesterday's interview with The Hockey News showcased Seider's take on Steve Yzerman stepping down.
This time around, Seider shared his thoughts on disgruntled captain Dylan Larkin.
In an interview with Eishockey News, a German publication, Seider was finally asked about his thoughts on Dylan Larkin's trade request.
Surprisingly enough, Seider was blindsided by Larkin's decision.
"You didn't necessarily see that coming," said Seider. "Everyone certainly has their reasons that motivate them to decide certain things. Whether I or we like it is beyond us to say. But one thing is certain: we are a better team if Dylan Larkin is on our team and playing on the ice, than if he isn't."
Without reading too much into Seider's quote here, it's clear that many in the locker room didn't expect Larkin to request a trade. Seider chose the diplomatic route in this interview over taking shots at his soon-to-be-former captain. This is, unfortunately, a double-edged sword: while it's kept all parties happy, it's also opened his quote to plenty of interpretation.
Some see this as Seider welcoming back Larkin with open arms, while others believe this implies that the locker room is ready to move on. Loyalty is important to NHL players -- while it's certainly fair to empathize with Larkin and his decision, Seide'rs quote suggests that plenty of players were blindsided by his choice.
Seider's media tour offers additional subtext
Seider's interview with Eishockey News is the third on his media tour, behind his spots with The Hockey News and NHL.com. Two interviews is a coincidence. Three is a pattern. On top of this, the Red Wings social media accounts have now posted about Seider twice in 24 hours. This, in turn, has led people to believe Seider is getting a "soft launch" as the next franchise captain.
If true, it's unclear whether the Red Wings would do this now or after Larkin is eventually traded. Either way, one thing is clear about Seider's interview(s): he's got his eye on the prize. When asked about what's caused collapses over recent years, he was more than candid in his answer:
"It’s the month of March," Seider said plainly. "We always lose a bit of momentum after the trade deadline. Once you get caught in a spiral like that, it’s hard to climb out."
Seider, rather than shy away from the discomfort, took full accountability for the team's collapse. He wasted no time providing solutions, as well. "This season it is more important that we can turn off the noise around us. The start of the season is much more important than March or the time around the trade deadline."
It's nice to hear Seider focused on the here and now, but, in an ideal world, they're able to keep this same energy in March.
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