McLellan ‘wouldn’t put any type of ceiling’ on Seider

DETROIT -- Prior to being named head coach of the Detroit Red Wings last Thursday, Todd McLellan had only watched Moritz Seider, who burst onto the NHL scene in the 2021-22 season as the Calder Memorial Trophy winner, from afar.

But that didn’t mean McLellan was unfamiliar with Seider’s talent and all-around game.

“He’s a horse,” McLellan said about the 23-year-old defenseman on Dec. 29. “He can handle those minutes. He can block shots, he recovers well, and all those things are great, but there’s a lot more there. There’s a lot more learning to do. We’ll keep working with him. He seems to be a sponge. He wants to absorb stuff and try it, so I wouldn’t put any type of ceiling on him yet. There’s a lot left in him, and we’re going to push him for it.”

Always striving for improvement, Seider has quickly evolved into one of the top young blueliners in the League, reflective of the seven-year contract extension he re-signed with Detroit in September.

“I think there’s been a lot of positives, but also a bunch of negatives,” Seider said about this season, his fourth NHL campaign. “Obviously, you want to do a better job on the [penalty] kill and you can score more goals on the power play. But overall, I think I’m in a good spot.”

Seider certainly is, as the former sixth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft leads all Red Wings defensemen in assists (16), points (20), power-play points (six), shots (69), hits (92), blocks (85) and average time on ice (24:58) in 37 games. He also paces the club’s defensive corps with five multi-point games this season.

“I just try to go out there, read the game pretty well and make my decisions based on what’s in front of me,” Seider said. “More or less, I think I’m doing a pretty good job with that.”

Seider strives to take advantage of every opportunity he can to lead by example. But the young defenseman also knows the importance of keeping things loose with his teammates, who Seider said he wants to continue growing alongside.

“It’s not fun, obviously, going out there after a hard game or whatever then you have to practice,” Seider said. “But those are kind of important things I think everybody should take seriously. That’s what I try to put on the line every day.”

Among the most important aspects of the game Seider said he’s learned from the veterans inside Detroit’s dressing room is game management. Having played in 283 consecutive games dating back to his NHL debut on Oct. 14, 2021, Seider currently owns the third-longest ironman streak to begin a career in Red Wings franchise history.

“They know how to treat their body with an 82-game season,” Seider said. “Those are the kinds of things you obviously take away from them.”