Seider not looking back, only ahead to future with Red Wings

Moritz Seider
provided one of the most memorable moments of the 2019 NHL Draft.

Now the Germany-born defenseman hopes to make Detroit Red Wings fans remember him for things he does on the ice.
Seider was visibly shocked when the Red Wings chose him with their first-round selection (No. 6), as most experts predicted he wouldn't go in the first 20 picks.
"It was really surprising to me, and everyone in Germany was so happy and excited for me," Seider said at Detroit's development camp in June. "But now I'm here, and I don't have to look back at that. I can look forward at the rest of my career. It's going to be fun."
Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman had seen some of the mock drafts but wasn't worried about anyone's opinion outside his scouting staff.
"He has excellent hockey sense, he's obviously a big kid at 6-foot-3, and we thought he was one of the best defensemen in the draft," Yzerman said. "We were picking at No. 6 and No. 35, and we didn't think he would be there at No. 35. We're excited to have him."
Seider only turned 18 in April, but has spent a lot of time playing above his age group. He has played 47 games, including 14 in the postseason, for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga -- Germany's top league -- and represented Germany at the 2019 World Championship.
"I think playing at that level has helped me a lot, just seeing how those guys prepare every day at practice," he said. "We've got a lot of guys who have won a Stanley Cup in our league, so it is pretty competitive. I think that's a big advantage for my game."

Seider impressed more than Yzerman and Detroit's scouting staff with his World Championship performance. In one of his games, he played against the United States, coached by Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill and featuring Detroit's top scorer Dylan Larkin at center.
"I'm really happy we got Moritz, because he really showed me some good things when we played them," Larkin said. "He was facing NHL players and he didn't seem at all out of place."
The rookie didn't disappoint in development camp, either.
"He can skate, he's poised and he's got good skills," said Red Wings director of player development Shawn Horcoff. "He was really impressive."

He'll head back to Germany for summer training, then return for rookie camp, training camp and the decision of where he'll spend 2019-20. The Red Wings have a logjam on the blue line, with
Dennis Cholowski
(21 years old), Filip Hronek (21) and
Jared McIsaac
(19) already in the mix.
"That's a tough question, and we will have to have some meetings," Seider said. "Maybe the American Hockey League] with Grand Rapids, or maybe the [Canadian Hockey League]. But why not Mannheim? It's one of the best organizations in Europe."
Eventually, though, the Red Wings are confident there'll be a spot waiting for Seider on the blue line at Little Caesars Arena.
From there, he expects to create more memorable moments on the ice.
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