Detroit Red Wings Seider Struggles in Year Two, Potential Still There

Defenseman Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings had a rookie season like no other in the 2021-22 season.

He came into the league with a bang, doing things that no other rookie defenseman should be doing. Not only did he develop faster than the Detroit Red Wings imagined, but he also picked up the NHL style of play without hesitation.

Last season, Seider played a well-rounded game that some veteran defensemen are still looking for. He would not back down from some of the biggest names in hockey, standing up to them at every opportunity.

Delivering bone-crunching hits was a regular thing when Seider was on the ice last season. He read the play like an NHL veteran while quarterbacking the first power play unit and winning the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s top rookie.

His rookie stats include seven goals and 43 assists for 50 points, 161 blocked shots, and 151 hits in 82 games. Not bad for a rookie season.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider has struggled in year two.

Entering his second season, the expectations were high for Seider. Fair or unfair to Seider, most thought he may exceed the previous year’s offensive totals.

In his second season for the Detroit Red Wings, he has struggled a bit defensively, not playing as physically as the season before, and getting caught heading up the ice, which rarely happened last year.

He still quarterbacks the powerplay, he still plays with an edge, and he still has offensive production as he has five assists in 13 games this season.

There could be two reasons why his play is off this season. This could be a sophomore slump, which some players do go through. Teams may have done research on him and know his tendencies, not allowing him to play his game or know what he will do defensively.

Seider could just go back to what made him successful last season, things that made him stand out in the league.

The other thing that could be going on could be a chemistry issue with the top-pairing partner, Ben Chiarot. It could be an issue where Seider may not fully trust Chiarot, and therefore not be able to play his game and join the rush like he did last season.

Chiarot is a defensive player who relies heavily on playing in his own end but has also struggled this year. With more offensive firepower up front for the Detroit Red Wings, Seider may not see the opportunities he had last season.

Whatever the issue is, Seider should be just fine at the season’s end. He is in a class by himself and still has all of the talent in the world to succeed. Seider, however, is not in the same class as former Red Wings Hall of Famer, Nicklas Lidstrom.

Lidstrom was head and shoulders above most defensemen in league history. When all is said and done and Seider is retired, he will be one of the better two-way defensemen in Detroit Red Wings history.

Seider is still very young and had loads of potential. He will figure it out and, with a few adjustments, be back to the wrecking ball he was last season.