It’s time for the Red Wings to recall Moritz Seider

Back in September there was a legitimate discussion to be had about Moritz Seider returning to Germany. Before training camp kicked off, Seider was a bit of an unknown coming out of the DEL, the top pro league in Germany. No player had ever made the DEL to AHL jump as an 18-year-old.

Whatever question marks were surrounding Seider’s transition to North America, boy, did he shut those down in a hurry.

Not only is Seider thriving with the Grand Rapids Griffins, he’s making an early case to crack the Red Wings next season. To the point where he might not even have to “bang the door down” like past first rounders Filip Zadina and Dennis Cholowski had to.

And, really, that’s because he’s performed exactly as advertised. A testament to Steve Yzerman & Co. for the boldness of the pick. It’s very evident that Seider plays with bite in his game, he embraces physicality. Very rare do you see the Mannheim product settle for rubbing out his man into the boards. He’s the type of match-up defender that is punishing down-low and physicality aggressive defending entries.

No doubt, physicality is the calling card to his game. But from watching him closely this season, I’ve seen equal progression in his defensive stick work. Most defensemen his age can get overwhelmed in their own zone, really just trying to survive on a shift-by-shift basis. Seider? Not only is he comfortable, he’s in control. It’s pretty remarkable how advanced he is in all facets of defending. Players his age simply don’t defend like this.

Seider’s evolution has been one to behold. The next step is to unlock his offensive potential. Since the start of the calendar year, I’ve noticed Seider is becoming less glued to the standard defensive position behind the play. Joining the rush is still a work in progress, but recently he has started to use his feet more. He ran Germany’s power play at the World Juniors and was quite aggressive with his shot. Creating chances from the point and cohesively creating offense in the attacking zone is where he needs to improve the most.

But take a step back and examine his ability to create offense in a more traditional sense for a defenseman, the puck moving and skating ability are there.

Sequences such as the ones below have come with time. It’s been a patient development but he’s finally finding a rhythm.

Do tell, a strong Summer could set him up for Detroit’s opening night roster in 2020-21. He’s proven his worth in Grand Rapids to handle the big leagues, or, at least earn the opportunity. That’s why it’s about time the Red Wings recall their blue-chip prospect for a look in the NHL.

Seider’s nine game tryout has basically already been confirmed, making it a matter of if, not when. And with the way the stars are aligning, his highly anticipated debut could be near.

The first reason being that Gustav Lindstrom’s time in Detroit is about to end. Lindstrom only has two games remaining on his tryout as of this writing, playing seven of the nine games. The team won’t let him go over that total to preserve the third year of his entry-level contract. Once Lindstrom wraps up his ninth game against the New York Islanders this upcoming Friday, he’ll be reassigned to Grand Rapids. That not only clears up a spot for Seider to join the main roster, but will also keep the Griffins down one D-man, rather than two.

There’s also the fact of the matter that the NHL trade deadline is this upcoming Monday. The likes of pending free agents Mike Green or Trevor Daley could be on the move as a cheaper option for contending teams. And even if they aren’t dealt, typically, basement teams will begin the recall process to experiment for next season. The trade deadline being in the rear-view mirror clears everything up and all that is left on the agenda is the remaining slate of games.

It’s the perfect storm to bring Seider up and get him some NHL experience. By the time the nine games are complete Seider can return to Grand Rapids with about a month to go in the regular season. Similarly to prospect counterparts Taro Hirose and Givani Smith, just getting a taste of the big leagues can do dividends for his confidence. Not to mention the jump-start it’ll give him for the Summer.

The time is now. Mo Seider has proven he’s ready for Detroit and Detroit should be ready for him.