Detroit Red Wings & Moritz Seider versus everybody

Jaws on the ground. Gasps throughout the arena. 

Five years have passed since the 2019 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Level Draft, yet, it seems as muddy of a discussion as ever. Is Moritz Seider worth the hype?

Our Detroit Red Wings’ number-one defenseman was signed to a seven-year extension for $8,550,000.00

When I first saw the news, I’ll admit I hung on the seven years (I’m sure we’d all prefer an eight-year contract like Lucas Raymond signed). It was a split second, then I went on to celebrate with my mom (would have been more of a celebration but we were the only ones in the room).

I figured when I went to review social media the consensus would be the same as it was for Lucas Raymond’s contract extension. Slam dunk, no-brainer, clear-cut win for both parties involved. Apparently, this idea is not the case.

Is Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider worth the contract? 

To me, Seider has more than earned his pay raise. Others need a bit more convincing it seems.

Do these tweets ring a bell to anyone else? 

For anyone who doesn’t have the time or will to watch Seider play, please step away from your models and watch @IceHockeyGifs who sums up his career in a pretty bow:

It might take longer to watch than running a model, but it’s a better cheat sheet to use to understand his value.

Seider has not missed a game, even when he’s hospitalized the morning before a game. No player has had a more challenging ask from his coach than Seider last season.

If you have a problem with the way Seider plays numbers-wise, I think you have a better argument against general manager Steve Yzerman with his lack of options on the blueline and the coaching staff’s deployment of Seider. 

Seider had minimal help last season (even less than the season before, which is impressive considering the veterans who were brought in to help, but who created more problems for Seider than anything else). There were points in the season where his bend looked more like it was snapping, but he continued in the face of adversity. He did it as well as I could ask of any player. 

For what it’s worth, not all stat cards look down on Seider:

If any defenseman was swapped to Seider’s situation last season, I couldn’t see a better result. 

You can have Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Darnell Nurse (can’t believe that someone else prefers him, but sounds good to me), I’ll take our German Machine any day, time, or situation. 

He’s in dire need of a dance partner and added depth. Let the man catch his breath every once in a while, for the love of God (in the John Keating voice).

Regardless of when and how that help arrives, Seider is more than worth his contract. 

I’m sure he won’t ever be an analytic darling. Nothing the Detroit Red Wings do ever seems to be good enough for the hockey world. It’s fine, we don’t need to worry about them anyway.

It’s the Detroit Red Wings & Seider versus everybody.