Players usually improve as they advance the ranks, but their impact relative to their peers decreases. It’s the talent funnel.

At the start of the season, I figured Moritz Seider would be a victim of that. Fresh off winning the SHL defenceman of the year, he had an advanced, robust defensive game along with plenty of skill, but his lack of puck patience and up-and-down play-creation would see a decrease in his effectiveness.

Surely, I thought, there’s no chance Seider turns his long-standing weaknesses into strengths in the NHL.

Surely.

I was wrong. Very wrong.