BOSTON – Draft picks happen with an eye on the future, a good trade or a building block for the future. In this case, it’s because there is a 6′ 9”, 249lb elephant in the room, the retirement of Captain Zdeno Chara.
In this respect, Boston is blessed with some great depth on defence, both in Boston and in waiting in Providence (AHL). Bringing up quality on the blueline is not going to be 
difficult for the Bruins. But to do this consistently, you have to keep feeding the machine, and because of this, PHN believes that Boston will select a defenceman, in this case Moritz Seider.
Seider has been playing for the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, (DEL – the top German league with the talent level roughly between ECHL and AHL), side Adler Mannheim from the moment he turned the minimum required 16-years of age, having played three seasons with the club’s junior side, Jungadler Mannheim.
After two seasons of playing senior men’s hockey in his home country’s top league, Seider was selected to play for the national side at the recent IIHF World Championships in Kosice, Slovakia, scoring twice, including the opening goal against a surprisingly tough Great Britain team as well as setting up Dominic Kahun’s goal against Team USA in his first World Championship tournament.
So why Seider and why Boston?
Seider is a talent, obviously, you don’t get drafted in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft if you’re not. Having two years of playing senior hockey in his nation’s top league will give him an edge when it comes to impressing early on in the draft. Seider is ranked sixth among European Skaters by Central Scouring heading into this year’s draft.
Boston like their offensive players in the Brad Marchand and David Pasternak mold of offensive and also in the Chara mould of defence. That’s where Seider fits in with the Bruins. He has soft hands and a rifle of a long range shot, and seems to be rarely caught out of position against NHL calibre players, and has the speed to get back fast to cover breakaways.
He’s not a Chara clone by any stretch at 6′ 4” and 196 lbs, and he has some filling out to do yet, but Seider looks like he would fit nicely in the Bruins D Corps in 2–5 years. Seider has committed to Adler Mannheim for the 2019-20 season, but he looks very capable and if he can avoid significant injuries, he can transition to the North American game comfortably.
“With the 30th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins are proud to select, from Adler Mannhein in Germany, Moritz Seider.”
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