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NHL Mock Draft 2019: Dallas Stars Select Moritz Seider 18th Overall

Posted on by Derek Neumeier

With the 18th overall pick in SB Nation’s 2019 NHL Mock Draft, Defending Big D selects defenseman Moritz Seider from the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

Name: Moritz Seider

Team: Adler Mannheim (DEL)

Position: Defense

Stats: 29 games played, 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points, 8 PIMs, +2 plus/minus rating

Comparable NHL players: Brian Dumoulin, Colton Parayko

Rankings

  • Hockey Prospect: 11th
  • Future Considerations: 16th
  • ISS Hockey: 27th
  • McKeen’s Hockey: 15th
  • NHL Central Scouting: 6th (European Skaters)
  • Bob McKenzie / TSN: 21st
  • Elite Prospects: 17th/

To quote the late, great baseball star Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

Applying this quote to 2019 NHL draft rankings, some outlets that published their final list before the completion of the World Championships might be kicking themselves a bit right now.

Three top 2019 draft-eligible prospects participated in this year’s World Championships. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, the projected #1 and #2 picks in this draft class, have been scouted intensely going all the way back to the 2017-18 season and both performed as well as expected in this event, so opinions about their potential likely didn’t change much, if at all.

But for German defenseman Moritz Seider, the third teenager who played in the tournament and has been difficult to get viewings of this season? Talk about a coming out party.

Going toe-to-toe against NHL competition, the 18-year-old Seider looked perfectly comfortable and capable, showing off his unflappable composure and long skating stride. He jumped up into the play on a regular basis and was rewarded with two goals for his efforts.

When it came time to make Defending Big D’s selection in the SB Nation NHL mock draft, there were a few strong contenders for the 18th pick. Ryan Suzuki and Cam York were both very tempting options, for differing reasons.

In the end, though, Seider’s impressive play in the World Championships was the deciding factor that pushed him to the top of the list.

While the various draft lists might not make Seider seem like the consensus best player available between him, Suzuki and York, many of the public lists were published before the World Championships took place. One can safely assume that Seider would be at least a couple of spots higher — if not more — on many of them if they were to be updated now.

Also factoring in the decision was just how much Seider fills a hole for the Stars’ prospect pipeline, as Dallas has a long-term need for right-shooting defensemen. A future defensive pairing of Seider and Miro Heiskanen would have the potential to be incredible in all three zones.

Big, mobile, right-shooting defensmen are a hot commodity in the NHL, so there’s a very good chance that Seider will be long gone before Dallas actually gets to use their #18 selection. But if he is still available, however, it would be an incredible bit of good fortune for the Stars.

For more information about what Seider offers as a prospect, Defending Big D’s full profile on him can be found at this link.

The Draft so Far

  1. NHL Mock Draft 2019: New Jersey Devils Select Jack Hughes with No. 1 draft pick – All About The Jersey
  2. NHL Mock Draft 2019: New York Rangers Select Kaapo Kakko with No. 2 Pick – Blueshirt Banter
  3. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Chicago Blackhawks select Alex Turcotte with No. 3 pick – Second City Hockey
  4. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Colorado Avalanche select Kirby Dach with the No. 4 pick – Mile High Hockey
  5. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Los Angeles Kings select Dylan Cozens with No. 5 pick – Jewels From The Crown
  6. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Detroit Red Wings select Bowen Byram with No. 6 pick – Winging It In Motown
  7. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Buffalo Sabres select Cole Caufield with the No. 7 pick – Die By The Blade
  8. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Edmonton Oilers Select Peyton Krebs With The Number 8 Pick – The Copper & Blue
  9. SB Nation NHL Mock Draft 2019: Anaheim Ducks select Trevor Zegras – Anaheim Calling
  10. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Vancouver Canucks select Matthew Boldy with the No. 10 pick – Nucks Misconduct
  11. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Philadelphia Flyers select Alex Newhook with No. 11 pick – Broad Street Hockey
  12. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Minnesota Wild select Vasili Podkolzin with the No. 12 pick – Hockey Wilderness
  13. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Florida Panthers select Philip Broberg with the No. 13 pick – Litter Box Cats
  14. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Arizona Coyotes select Victor Soderstrom with the 14th pick – Five For Howling
  15. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Montreal Canadiens select Thomas Harley with the 15th pick – Habs Eye on the Prize
  16. NHL Mock Draft 2019: New York Rangers select Arthur Kaliyev with the 16th pick – Blueshirt Banter
  17. NHL Mock Draft 2019: Vegas Golden Knights select Raphael Lavoie with No. 17 pick – Knights on Ice

Talking Points