The Detroit Red Wings raised some eyebrows with their selection of German defenseman Moritz Seider with their sixth overall draft selection.
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While the move came as a surprise, GM Steve Yzerman has a message for fans who might be concerned about the selection of Seider.
“He’s a really good player and a really good kid,” Yzerman said. “We think we got an excellent prospect, somebody that’ll really fit into what we’re doing and that our fan base will really enjoy watching.”
At 6’3 and 208 lbs, Seider was first noticed by Yzerman in December. He spent extensive time with Seider at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, calling him an excellent athlete and full of potential.
“We think he has excellent hockey sense,” Yzerman told media at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. “He’s a big kid, a real good skater. In our opinion, he was one of the top defensemen in the draft. We were picking 6 and 35, we had to make a decision; he wasn’t going to be there at 35. We explored options to possibly trade back, we weren’t able to do that.
“We’re pretty excited to get him. I know our fans don’t know much about him, but I think when people come to development camp (next week at Little Caesars Arena) and see him move — Google him, watch him play a little bit — I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
