Red Wings Wrap-Up: Seider one of NHL's top defensemen after rookie season

Moritz Seider burst onto the scene in his NHL debut, recording two assists on Opening Night against the two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena.

And as Seider navigated his first week of NHL action, the Detroit Red Wings rookie defenseman appeared at ease.
"I think I'm really comfortable with what I'm doing right now," Seider said after the fifth game of the season on Oct 23. "I just wanna build my own name."
Seider's confidence carried throughout the 2021-22 season, helping the 21-year-old establish himself as one of the league's brightest young stars. He led all rookie blueliners with 50 points on seven goals and 43 assists, becoming the first rookie defenseman to reach the 50-point plateau since the legendary Nicklas Lidstrom in 1991-92.

Seider's stellar campaign was officially recognized on May 11,
when he was named one of the three finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy
, awarded annually to the NHL's top rookie as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Seider is up against Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting for the award.
The German defenseman is Detroit's first Calder Trophy finalist since Jimmy Howard (2009-10) and has an
opportunity to become the sixth player in franchise history to earn the honor
, which would be the first since Roger Crozier in 1964-65.
"He had an incredible year," fellow defenseman Marc Staal said in his end-of-season media session. "He's a very talented and gifted player."
Seider revealed that while he's confident in his abilities, he set just one goal prior to the season.
"I had expectations to make the team and that was about it," Seider said on April 26. "Other than that, I'm just enjoying coming to the rink every day."
Seider did much more than just make the team last October. He finished with eight points in his first nine games, earning him the NHL's Rookie of the Month in October.
"It's obviously a nice little appreciation," Seider said of the honor on Nov. 3. "But all in all, I just wanna win hockey games."
Seider also had an eight-game point streak (1-11-12) from Feb. 9 - March 4, becoming just the fourth rookie defenseman in NHL history to record a point streak of eight games or more, joining Shayne Gostisbehere (2015-16), Kevin Shattenkirk (2010-11) and Barry Beck (1977-78).

As Seider continued to make a name for himself throughout his debut season, he received praise from both teammates and opposing players for his play at a difficult position.
"Seider, I have been extremely impressed with his game," Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said on March 4. "It's so fun to watch all the young players in the league."

According to Staal, Seider will be a focal point of game plans from opposing coaches around the NHL in his second season and beyond.
"This league is a tough league," Staal said. "The more you play against someone, the more you learn about their tendencies, what they like to do, where they like to go. He'll have to deal with that a bit more and he's gonna have a lot more attention from opposing teams and forwards."
But Staal, who played in his 1,000th career game this season, believes Seider has the ability to overcome the increased attention.
"He has the mental makeup and physical gifts to be able to deal with that in a pretty outstanding way," Staal said. "I look forward to keep on watching him improve and dominating like he has been."