A deep dive into Moritz Seider and what he means to the Detroit Red Wings

Moritz Seiders intangibles hold some weight with the Detroit Red Wings

Some of Seider’s best qualities are intangibles that aren’t quantifiable and aren’t appreciated until someone like Seider is on their team.

In the context the Red Wings and Seider, the CF% and GF% doesn’t account for the level of competition. Regularly, Seider plays the second or third-highest minutes on the team. For reference, Seider has played 1034:46 minutes, which is 156:27 minutes higher than the team's second-highest (Ben Chiarot with 878:19 time on ice.) For anyone wondering, Ben Chiarot has recorded the highest time on ice for those wondering with 749:25. (He’s been great, all things considered, but that topic is for another time and place.)

Seider’s minutes aren’t easy minutes. As with the game against the Oilers, the Red Wings regularly put Seider against the highest level of competition. He gets very few, if any, shifts against lesser competition. Also, Seider doesn’t get many offensive zone shift starts. For example, against the Oilers, Seider started zero times in the offensive zone, once in the neutral zone, and five times in the defensive zone. Chiarot and Jake Walman weren’t far behind, with four shift starts in the defensive zone. This means that not only does Seider face stiffer competition, but he does not start in a favorable zone either. 

Red Wings’ head coach Derek Lalonde is asking a lot of Seider. Maybe it’s justified and will make Seider better in the long run, as Seider has held his head above water this season. However, it may be a bit much at times. 

Changing things up every so often might help, but then we have to think of who takes Seider’s spot in the defensive zone or who has to face McDavid. These thoughts alone scare me as I don’t know who would be the best candidate.

These factors aside, there are aspects of Seider’s game that need to improve. Seider plays much more reactionary than proactively. From the neutral zone to the offensive zone, Seider plays with confidence and seems to have genuine fun. He plays with an edge in the defensive zone, but appears all business. If Seider could bring some of that swag from the neutral and offensive zone. 

Seider is wise enough to not make foolish plays, avoiding a poke and hope mentality. Rarely do I see Seider cheat for anything in any zone and I would expect this trend to continue regardless of how he plays in the defensive zone.

Now, I hear some fans defending Seider from this perspective. I appreciate your love of Seider and dedication to him. I understand that you believe that Seider is perfect. Wish I could have that same mentality, but I see more potential in Seider to unlock.

This opportunity should make it all the more exciting for Red Wings’ fans as they know how much effort Seider puts in on a nightly basis. We see his drive to be the best he can be for his team. To realize there is higher, untapped potential is tantalizing.

My favorite quality of Seider is his learning ability. I joked many times that Seider is a super-human computer and not an actual human. The way he just instantly learns from a mistake is incredible. Very few times have I witnessed Seider make the same mistake twice in his career since joining the Red Wings organization.

As defensemen join the Red Wings in Detroit, they should help alleviate some hard minutes from Seider and lessen his overall workload. In doing so, he should be better rested and face lesser competition at times to have more fun.