Moritz Seider is looking ahead as his former captain waits at home for a trade.
The Detroit Red Wings' top defenceman said,"It's good to put it in the past and turn the page," after Dylan Larkin left the team and was suspended without pay on Thursday.
"Whoever we get, whatever pick we get, we'll have players that are happy to be here," Seider said after the Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1."We just have to make sure we get them ready to be part of our team."
Larkin requested a trade out of Detroit in the spring but had been playing while awaiting a deal, even scoring a big goal late in a win over the Oilers on Monday. But on Thursday, interim general manager Shawn Horcoff announced that Larkin"has informed us that he will no longer play for the Detroit Red Wings," so the team suspended the veteran centre as they weigh offers.
The news came hours before the Red Wings hosted former teammate Patrick Kane and the rival Chicago Blackhawks in a game broadcast on ESPN, but after a slow start, Detroit rallied to win thanks to a hat trick from newcomer Viktor Arvidsson to improve to 6-4-3 on the season.
"Obviously it meant a little more," Seider said of winning after the drama of the day."I think it came down to this is our squad and we have a really good group in here."
Seider, who is likely to succeed Larkin as captain, said he wishes nothing but the best to his now-former teammate.
"Obviously it's tough but in the end you want him to be happy and if that's not here hopefully it's somewhere else," Seider said. "It's kinda hard to put that player aspect aside and just see it as a friend, but ultimately that's my goal.
Nevertheless, we still have a hell of a group in here.
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