Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider has spent the offseason drawing buzz, and now there is a national ranking behind it. Seider has played five NHL seasons and has never missed a game. At 25, entering his sixth season, he is walking into the prime of his career.

That leaves the question Red Wings fans have been kicking around all summer: where does Seider actually stand among the best players in hockey?

NHL Network Puts Moritz Seider at No. 30

The NHL Network counted down players 30 through 21 ahead of the 2026-27 season, and Seider landed at No. 30. Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson (No. 29), the New York Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer (No. 28) and Montreal’s Lane Hutson (No. 27) were the other defensemen in that group. NHL.com wrote this about the pick:

“Seider set NHL career bests in goals (10), assists (50), points (60), power-play points (28) and average time on ice (25:40) while playing all 82 games for the fifth straight season. His streak of 410 consecutive games played is second among active NHL defensemen (Brent Burns, 1,007) and tied for fifth among all active skaters. The 25-year-old was the first Detroit defenseman to have a 60-point season since Nicklas Lidstrom had 62 in 2010-11.

He also led Red Wings defensemen with 180 blocked shots and was second with 128 hits, and finished fifth in voting for the Norris Trophy as the League’s top defenseman. The Red Wings were a different team with Seider on the ice — his 53.2 percent shot attempts percentage (SAT%) at 5-on-5 this season was higher than Detroit’s overall 49.2 percent SAT%.”

An 84-Game Season Gives Him More Runway

Seider could be on the verge of a 70-to-80-point season in 2026-27. With the NHL moving to an 84-game schedule this season, it would not be a surprise to see him play in all 84.

Potential Norris Trophy Candidate

If Seider has a strong enough season for Detroit, he could be a finalist for the Norris Trophy. He is already a top-30 player in the league, and a big year in 2026-27 would move him into the top-20 discussion.

He is going to have to be the best player on the Red Wings if they are going to end their 10-year playoff drought, the longest in franchise history. Seider is the team’s best defenseman since Nicklas Lidstrom.