Entering the 2026 Winter Olympics, the belief was that Canada, the United States, and Sweden carried the best odds of winning the gold medal. That's because all three of those teams are stacked with some of the best players in the NHL. One team that was worth monitoring as a potential dark horse in these Winter Games was Germany. After all, they do feature one of the best centers in the league in Leon Draisaitl. They also featured a top defenseman and legitimate Norris Trophy candidate this year, Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings.
Seider and Germany didn't have the greatest showing in group play, winning against Denmark and losing to the United States and Latvia. But Germany had the chance to redeem themselves once the single-elimination stage began. They picked up a huge 5-1 win over France, setting up a matchup against the No. 3 seed Slovakia.
Unfortunately for Seider, his Olympic run officially reached its end, as Germany lost 6-2 to a more game Slovakia. Now, Seider returns back to Detroit to prepare for the remainder of the Red Wings' regular season.
Moritz Seider to return to Red Wings after Germany's elimination from Winter Olympics
This is far from the showing anyone expected from Germany. Considering the star power on the team, which also includes Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators, JJ Peterka of the Utah Mammoth, and Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken, this was a team expected to go on a run. But the defense behind Seider had been far from great.
Look no further than their elimination loss to Slovakia. Seider had an even plus/minus ratio in nearly 28 minutes of ice time. Compare that to Kai Wissmann, who had a -3 plus/minus in over 18 minutes of ice time and Jonas Muller, who had a -3 plus/minus in just over 14 minutes of ice time. That doesn't help matters for Germany. That, and Grubauer surrendering three goals on five shots in the second period.
Now for Seider, he returns to Detroit to help prepare for the Red Wings' final stretch of the regular season. Before the Olympic break, the Red Wings are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points over 58 games. There isn't much room for error in terms of falling into a Wild Card spot, as the Buffalo Sabres are just two points behind them with 70 points through 57 games and the Boston Bruins are three points behind them with 69 points through 57 games. There is a pretty sizable gap for the Red Wings and teams sitting outside of a Wild Card spot, but they need to keep it up. Perhaps a big trade by the March 6 trade deadline could help increase their chances of making it back to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
Seider is in the midst of a great season. Through 58 games, Seider has seven goals, 31 assists, and a +13 plus/minus ratio. His defensive metrics alone make him one of the favorites to win the Norris Trophy.
Seider did not return home with an Olympic medal, but now, he can prepare to bring a Stanley Cup back to Detroit.