Moritz Seider said Thursday's win over the Blackhawks meant a little more, coming on the same day Dylan Larkin left the Red Wings.
“It meant a little more. I think it came down to that this is our squad and we got a really good group in here,” Seider said, per Helene St. James.
Our squad. That's a defenseman drawing a circle around the room on the night it lost its highest-paid player.
Larkin is listed day-to-day for a reason that isn't injury-related, expected out until at least October 31.
Earlier Thursday, Jordan Schmaltz said he's hearing Larkin will head to New Jersey. Nothing in the official listing explains the absence.
The 30-year-old carries an $8,700,000 cap hit, the biggest number on Detroit's books.
Seider sits right behind him at $8,550,000, and the spotlight in that room swings his way now.
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Moritz Seider's “our squad” comment stands out amid Dylan Larkin trade rumors
The 25-year-old came into the night with 6 assists and no goals through 12 games this season.
He'd also gone minus-3 over his previous 5 outings, so this wasn't a guy riding a hot streak into the moment.
The scoring has come from elsewhere. Viktor Arvidsson entered Thursday with 5 goals over his last 5 games.
Lucas Raymond had 8 points in that same stretch, and Alex DeBrincat led the team with 13 on the season.
On the other bench, Jeff Blashill called Chicago's night a step backwards and questioned how hard his group competed in Detroit.
It's like the first family dinner after someone moves out. Everybody sits a little closer and talks a little louder.
But what happens when the emotion wears off? One inspired night doesn't fill a hole in the lineup, and that problem lands on Shawn Horcoff's desk.
Whatever happens next with Larkin, Detroit should be leaning on Seider as the voice of this group, starting now.
The Blues are in town Saturday afternoon. That's the first test of whether “our squad” is a rallying cry or just a good quote.
Should the Red Wings make Moritz Seider the face of the team if Dylan Larkin is gone for good?
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