From The Silky Mitten State: Will Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond wind up with the contract with a greater average annual value
From The Silky Mitten State: Will Moritz Seider or Lucas Raymond wind up with the contract with a greater average annual value
In his reporting for Sportsnet, NHL 'Insider' Elliotte Friedman has now twice suggested that of the Red Wings twin as-of-yet-unsigned superstars, Moritz Seider is set to earn more per season than Lucas Raymond. It's by no means an outrageous assertion, but it's one we thought merited further discussion on the latest episode of The Silky Mitten State.
On that episode, I said that Friedman's prediction made sense to me, and I don't doubt the credibility of his sources, but considering the excitement he generated last season and his potential to continue blossoming as a scorer, I had some notion that Raymond might wind up earning more. My co-host Connor Earegood pointed out that fundamentally as a right-handed top pairing defenseman, Seider has more value than Raymond, a gifted player whose peak might not yet be in sight, but a scoring winger nonetheless.
We know that points are ultimately the biggest driver of contract value in the NHL. Sure, we have other more refined or nuanced ways to understand the game numerically these days, but at the end of the day, be they forwards or or defensemen, it tends to be the top scorers who wind up with the most money where skaters are concerned. Perhaps, however, this is an area where Steve Yzerman's vision differs from conventional league wisdom, placing a higher premium on Seider's value as a defender.
Ultimately, I was persuaded by Connor's case and Friedman's reporting, and while I wouldn't bet the house on it, I do expect Seider to wind up with the higher value contract, assuming they are roughly equal in term. You can sample our conversation via the featured video above or listen to the full conversation on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:
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