Warning sent to GM Steve Yzerman on low-ball offer to Moritz Seider
The young defenseman is one of the summer’s top restricted free agents and needs a huge pay raise. Right???
HockeyFeed
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider is completing his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent on July 1st with no arbitration rights. He is most especially the future of the organization and has already accomplished so much, as Luke Fox of Sportsnet points out:
“Top-six draft pick. 2022 Calder Trophy winner. Silver medallist at 2023 world championships. Named to 2021 and 2023 world championships all-star team. 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-shot horse with edge. Can run a power-play and kill a penalty. Leads all Red Wings in ice time. Capable of 50 points while taking on hard matchups.”
That’s why Fox cannot phantom Wings general manager Steve Yzerman trying to lowball the 23-year-old blue liner during contract negotiations. I mean the kid is a key piece of their rebuilding roster in Detroit and despite Yzerman’s bad choices around the Trade Deadline this season, I simply cannot imagine him making an insulting offer to Seider.
Fox has the same hope and asks the following question, which is basically a strong recommendation to Yzerman:
“Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman should be willing to ink Seider the maximum term of an eight-year extension and make the German his highest-paid defenceman by a mile.
“How does an AAV around $8.6 million sound?”
Fox also explains how the numbers would respect team captain Dylan Larkin following his big contract signing: “That would tuck Seider in just below team captain and payroll leader Dylan Larkin ($8.7 million cap hit).”
While for some, Yzerman included, this could sound like a lot of money for the 23-year-old defenseman. However, long-term deal at $8.6 million AAV could become a bargain over time.
Moritz has not even reach his playing prime and has been looking good as a leader on the Wings’ blue line.
Yzerman simply cannot mess this up. Right???
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