The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League’s top defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability throughout the season. In recent years, the conversation has often centred on elite offensive talents such as recent winners Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar (twice), Erik Karlsson, and Adam Fox whose point totals and highlight-reel plays capture headlines.

However, as the 2025-26 NHL season unfolds, it’s time to give Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider his due as a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate. Seider’s blend of defensive prowess, heavy workload, and ability to excel against top competition make him one of the more valuable blue-liners in the league.

Seider’s candidacy is underpinned by his status as one of the NHL’s premier all-around defensemen. He leads the Red Wings with an averaging north of 25 minutes per game, ranking him among the league’s top five in total minutes played. Seider is consistently deployed against opponents’ top lines, as evidenced by his whopping 65% share of defensive zone starts and his frequent matchups versus elite forwards like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon.

Defensively, Seider excels in metrics that often go unnoticed. Seider’s 80 blocked shots ranks second on the team to Ben Chiarot (81) and is third on the Red Wings in hits with 63 behind Chiarot (82) and Marco Kasper (81), reinforcing both his willingness to sacrifice his body and play a physical brand of hockey. He’s also been able to maintain a plus-13 rating, while not as high as some of his Norris rivals, is impressive given his workload and the quality of competition he faces nightly. Seider is also a key penalty killer, averaging over three minutes of shorthanded ice time per game, which is the highest among the Red Wings and top ten league wide.

Building a strong Norris Trophy case for Detroit Red Wings’ Moritz Seider

To fully appreciate Seider’s impact, it’s essential to examine both traditional and advanced metrics. His Corsi For percentage (CF%) sits at 55.73%, indicating that Detroit controls the puck more than half the time when he’s on the ice at even strength. His expected goals for percentage (xGF%) is 60.9%, a testament to his ability to suppress quality chances against while generating offence for his team. His Relative Corsi for in all situations comes in at 10.8. In comparison, that measure during his Calder Trophy winning season came in at 4.3.

Seider’s defensive impact is further highlighted by his Goals Above Replacement (GAR) and Defensive Point Shares (DPS) metrics. Depending on which sites you view, some models put Seider’s GAR at 14.3, with 9.1 of that total coming from defensive contributions—ranking him second among NHL defensemen, behind only Makar. His DPS of 6.0 also places him in elite company, underscoring his ability to drive team success through defensive reliability.

The majority of Seider chatter credits his defensive abilities and some of his offensive contributions, especially lately. The young workhorse is quickly becoming one of the top all-around defensemen league-wide, and it’s happening right in front of our very eyes.

He’s also amassed 22 points, including those six goals, over his past 25 games. Seider is fourth in scoring on Detroit with six goals and 27 points over 37 games. He’s also amassed 22 points including those six goals over his past 25 games. He’s by far Detroit’s most valuable player, and one they can ill-afford to lose. His two-way game made the idea of adding a player like Quinn Hughes so exciting, but it didn’t work out. Now, Detroit will continue to rely on Simon Edvinsson, rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Chiarot as stable depth behind their Norris Candidate.