Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, after only one NHL season, is in good company, at least in the estimation of NHL Network.
Seider ranked 49th on the network’s five-part “Top 50 Players Right Now” series.
The reigning Calder Trophy winner as top NHL rookie ranked just behind Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros and just ahead of New Jersey center Jack Hughes, the top pick in 2018, the year Seider was picked sixth overall.
The panel of NHL Network researchers, producers, analysts and hosts considers player performance over the past several seasons, with an emphasis on the 2021-2022 regular season and 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, as well as projections of future performance.
NHL Network analyst and former player Mike Rupp said of Seider: “I give him a ton of credit for cracking this list after just one year, because we always talk about how hard it is for a defenseman. Young defenseman coming into the league and having success right away, it just doesn’t happen that easily. He came in, he gets tough matchups, he’s going to continue to get more. I think his reading will get better; they’ll get stronger. I don’t think we’ve seen the ceiling on him. He’s going to keep getting better.”
Here are the players ranked 41 through 50, revealed on Sunday:
41. Jack Eichel, C, Vegas
42. John Carlson, D, Washington
43. Chris Kreider, W, NY Rangers
44. Alex DeBrincat, W, Montreal
45. Miro Heiskanen, D, Dallas
46. Gabriel Landeskog, W, Colorado
47. Filip Forsberg, C, Nashville
48. Juuse Saros, G, Nashville
49. Moritz Seider, D, Detroit
50. Jack Hughes, C, New Jersey
The player ranking continues Sunday on NHL Network with Nos. 31 through 40 (6 pm).
Players 21 through 30 will be revealed on Sept. 25, players 11 through 20 on Oct. 2 and players 1 through 10 on Oct. 9 (times to be determined).
More: Where Moritz Seider ranks on NHL Network’s list of top defensemen