Just what a gem Steve Yzerman found in his first draft in charge of the Detroit Red Wings was on display again in a meeting of two of the top picks from the 2019 draft.
Defenseman Moritz Seider’s performance in Saturday’s 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils was masterful, especially coming from a 20-year-old rookie.
Seider’s chief assignment was to contain Jack Hughes, the enormously skilled forward who presented as the No. 1 selection in the draft long before the Devils won the lottery and made it so. The Wings, who finished 28th in the standings, a spot ahead of the Devils, were pushed back in the lottery from fourth to sixth, and Yzerman consoled himself with Seider.
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Saturday marked the first time Seider and Hughes played against one another in the NHL. Hughes, 20, is in his third season, but Seider spent 2019-20 in the American Hockey League and last season in Sweden. Seider was on the ice against Hughes most shifts, and quickly adapted to limit his effectiveness. Wings assistant coach Doug Houda, who is in charge of the defensemen, pointed out Seider’s teachability after the game.
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“I thought he respected the game,” Houda said. “He knew he had to play Jack Hughes. The first couple minutes, I thought Hughes got in behind him, and that was the last time he got in behind him, because he played against him most of the night.
“He’s a great player and he’s just learning the game and every day he’s getting better and better. As you play against these better players every game, there’s something to pick up every night, and he did it again. He defended pretty well against Jack Hughes.”
Hughes was held without a point, giving him five goals, three assists and a minus-8 rating in 12 games this season (he missed 17 games because of a dislocated shoulder). Hughes had 21 points and was minus-26 in 61 games his rookie year, and had 31 points and a minus-3 rating in 56 games last season. In November, the Devils signed Hughes to an eight-year, $64-million extension that kicks in next season and carries an $8 million annual average value.
In addition to his defensive performance, Seider starred offensively. In the second period, he had the puck in the neutral zone, slowed down to make sure the play was not offside, remained poised as he was double teamed, and then slipped the puck through defender’s legs and on to Tyler Bertuzzi, who scored to make it 3-1. It was Seider’s 18th assist of the season, tying teammate Lucas Raymond for the NHL lead in assists among rookies.
“I think as the season has gone on he’s gotten more and more confident every game,” veteran defenseman Danny DeKeyser said. “It seems like when he has the puck on his stick, he always wants to make a really good play with it and that’s good to see. He’s been one of our best players. His development from the start of the year has grown each week. He’s definitely got some confidence going and it’s fun to watch.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.