The Red Wings have an MVP-worthy player

Thinking back to the 2019 NHL Entry Level Draft, there was so much promise for the Detroit Red Wings. I’ve likened Steve Yzerman returning to Hockeytown to Simba returning to Pride Rock in the original animated version of the Lion King. 

Seeing him grace the stage to announce the first draft choice under his tenure as general manager got me a bit teary eyed, I’ll admit it. 

Yzerman meticulously reviewed each prospect likely to be available at sixth overall. He could’ve chosen the flashy forward, the expected defenseman, or even traded the pick (either up or down in the draft for a “better” choice or more darts to throw at the board). Instead, he stunned public scouts and fans alike.

My favorite reaction, outside of the young man himself, was this one from C-RadTV (as a heads up there is swearing—as most reactions included). Morty Schneider is still a nickname I use from time to time, as it’s quite funny.

Yzerman swung for the fences. And, of course, Moritz (Norris) Seider was the right pick. 

Detroit Red Wings star defenseman finally gets his flowers

For this organization to go from no Victor Herman (as Yzerman inherited with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization) to a star defenseman who is finally getting his flowers six years later, Yzerman should be applauded. 

I could slap a bunch of stats across the page, quote everybody who is including Seider in their Norris Trophy Candidates, or cite the guy who’s backpedaling on his “Seider sucks” charts. Seider hasn’t changed a thing about his game. The charts just couldn’t grasp just how good Seider was in his previous seasons. Challenging partners and lack of a supporting cast were constants that were finally addressed with the arrival of Simon Edvinsson.

Instead of focusing on the stats, I want to focus on the player. 

Before the fanfare of the entire league, Detroit fans watched him blossom into the elite defenseman that everyone is drooling over. Long gone are the days of people wondering who Morty Schneider is and Yzerman having to justify his pick to the hockey world. 

From taking a face-off in overtime in the AHL (and winning it) to playing through unimaginable exhaustion and pain, Seider has been the most reliable force the Wings have.

Seider makes his teammates better

On every defensive pair he's played on, Seider carries his partner to the top of statistical categories. 

Even back when Seider played in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), his defensive partner Éric Gélinas played so well and confidently he earned another contract in North America. 

Of course, both players worked well together, so it wasn't all Seider. However, he tends to have that same effect on any partner he plays with not named Ben Chiarot. Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and Jacob Bernard-Docker play their best hockey when paired with Seider. It’s not a coincidence. Seider just elevates his partner’s game and statistics.

Seider plays toughest minutes for Red Wings, NHL

On top of carrying his defensive partner, Seider routinely has some of the toughest (and most) minutes in the NHL. For everything that Dylan Larkin does for the forward group, Seider does just as much for his defensive group. 

Every wheel can (and has) fallen off for the Wings at any given moment. However, fans can always rely on Seider to be there. Even if he makes a mistake, he does everything in his power to play the right way, and to learn from the adversity. 

He even took a team discount to stay seven seasons in Detroit. Norris Seider commands a measly $8.5 million per season through 2029-30 (when he will be 28, so he will likely get a hefty raise).

Seider is still under his captain’s $8.7 million (signed through the same year). If Seider felt so inclined, it would have been completely warranted for a guy who plays almost 24 minutes on average to get paid higher. Yet, Seider took the pay cut.  

I’d argue, to an extent, Seider is as much a Hart Memorial Trophy Candidate (the most valuable player to his team in the NHL) as he is a Norris candidate.

I can’t even imagine this organization without Seider being a part of it. He's vital to any type of success the Red Wings have (and will) have. 

I’m not sure there’s a player who impacts their team more than Seider. We're lucky to have him.

During the postgame scrum, after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers on April 9, Larkin concurred with this idea: He's a different player than Zach and Hughes and Makar, but he's just as important to our team."

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