Report: Latest Red Wings Transaction Means Bad News for Moritz Seider

The Detroit Red Wings signed forward Lucas Raymond to an eight-year, $64.6 million contract on September 16 carrying an annual average value (AAV) of $8.08 million.

The extension, however, could have bracketed defenseman Moritz Seider's value within the organization at a lower salary than the one he could have demanded.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, in the September 16 episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast (recorded before Raymond's extension was announced), Detroit has set a limit on how much they are willing to offer their players and Seider in particular.

The key detail, according to Friedman, is that the Red Wings don’t want Seider to earn more than team captain Dylan Larkin, who makes $8.7 million annually, although he could potentially match or surpass Raymond's AAV.

"I don't think that (earning fewer than $8.7 million per season) would be necessarily a problem for Raymond," Friedman said.

"I think if there is a player who potentially, without knowing for sure," Friedman added, "but if there's a player who I suspect might try to go above 8.7 of the two, it would be Seider, but again I don't know 100%."

The Red Wings only have one roster spot open, reserved for Seider, and exactly $8.75 million in cap space according to PuckPedia .

If the franchise wants to keep their roster as currently constructed while re-signing Seider for the most possible money, the blueliner would jump Larkin on the salary pecking order. It's also possible that Detroit offers Seider between Raymond's $8.08 and Larkin's $8.7 so the franchise can have some dollars to spare in cap space.

Seider is one of the best players in the Red Wings organization and a crucial part of Detroit’s young core. He was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NHL draft but he's already become a staple.

The German is coming off a nine-goal, 42-point season playing more than 22 minutes per game and he's simply one of the best defensemen in the league even though he has less than half a decade of NHL experience.

Related: Red Wings Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion Forward