Who is Better? Moritz Seider vs. Radek Zelinka

This comparison is a massive one on so many levels. It obviously begins with their physical stature, but also includes their style of play, and even more importantly, each player's respective significance to his team.

In fact, while it can be argued that there is a concise list of better defensemen in each of their branches, it can also be counterargued that these two athletes are the most important blue-liners to the success of their respective teams, bar none.

So, between the two… which one is better?

The Rules of the Game

Staying true to our passion for ice hockey, we will assess the players using the traditional “5 S’s” of hockey scouting: skill, skating, size, sense, and spirit. Not only will this allow us to cover the full spectrum of each player’s makeup, but it will also offer an odd number of criteria, thereby ensuring a winner (or so we hope, as this sport is full of surprises!).

The Tale of the Tape

Moritz Seider
Birth: April 6, 2001
Position: Defence
National Hockey League (NHL) Team: Detroit Red Wings
Country: Germany

Radek Zelinka
Birth: September 15, 1991
Position: Defence
Para hockey team: SKV Sharks Karlovy Vary
Country: Czechia

Preamble

Over the years, there have been a number of big-framed defensemen who have patrolled the blue line. The names of Larry Robinson, Chris Pronger, Zdeno Chara, and Victor Hedman all immediately spring to mind, the order in which most likely depending on your age.

Interestingly, today, we are focusing on two athletes from this lineage, but who we are catching at different moments of their careers. At age 25, Moritz Seider is just coming into his prime, at the same time as his Detroit Red Wings are finally becoming contenders again, while at age 35, Radek Zelinka is on the back nine of his athletic journey, with the Chinese National Team gaining ground on the Czechs for a spot on the podium.

And as both our subjects tower over opponents on the ice, today we find out which competitor's play stands tallest.

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Skill

If physicality is the first component that springs to mind for both players, their offensive production is not far behind.

Starting with Seider: the German defender is a sneaky-good stickhandler who makes a terrific first pass. It often goes unnoticed in this era of the explosive offensive defenseman, with Moritz having been carved in a different mold—that of the powerful blue-line anchor.

His shoulder width and wingspan are the mortal enemies of door frames everywhere. But more than just his size, he is built strong, and that strength is reflected in his toolbox. His shot is heavy and his passes are powerful and precise. He excels in transition, consistently pushing the puck up the ice to his teammates in a manner that is reminiscent of former Red Wings Hall of Fame defenseman, Larry Murphy. As a matter of fact, in four years, Seider has never completed an NHL season with fewer than 42 points and is currently already sitting at 38 for this one.

Interestingly, out of his 218 career NHL points, 95 have come with the man advantage, so almost half. Part of that reflects his permanent presence on the Winged Wheel’s power play, but part of that also underlines his orchestrating role. Seider’s contribution isn’t as flashy as Cale Makar’s in Colorado or Lane Hutson’s in Montreal, but the German native’s cannon of a shot and skillful puck distribution have helped make the Detroit power play one of the NHL’s best, even during non-playoff seasons in Hockeytown.

Zelinka shares a lot of similarities, but they manifest in different ways. For one, Radek’s style of play has him taking care of business at his defensive blue line first and foremost. Second, while Seider uses his passes to dominate the neutral zone, Zelinka is more inclined to jump into the play himself. In five games at the 2025 World Championships, he registered five points, four of which were goals. Furthermore, during those games, he recorded 18 shots on net (good for second-most on his team and 17% of Czechia’s total output). This statistical line is completely contradictory to Seider’s, whose career high in an 82-game season is nine goals. Therefore, even the numbers emphasize Moritz contributing by directing the puck to a goal scorer, with Radek joining the play and lighting the lamp himself.

The choice is understandable given Zelinka’s prowess with the little black disk on his blade. His stickhandling reach is second to none, and his shot does not lack for zip. Hence, it is easily understandable that when on the attack, the Czech defender will regularly be found somewhere in the high circles looking to unleash his shot, as opposed to his German counterpart who will stay near the blue line to make a play.

Zelinka detonates.

Seider distributes.

Edge: Zelinka is a menace, but Seider’s toolbox is even more impressive.

Scoreboard: 1–0 Seider

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Size

Seider is an optical illusion. He looks taller than he is because of how wide he is, and he further propagates the misbelief by playing an even bigger game, averaging more than a hit per outing and currently ranking fourth in the NHL in blocked shots. His strength makes those hits of the punishing variety while also allowing him to establish a dominating net-front presence, making any attempt by an opponent to obstruct the Detroit goaltender’s view an unpleasant and bruising adventure.

Zelinka, on the other hand, is a geometer. From the moment he steps onto the ice, his wingspan is immediately noticeable, and he will embrace his physical gift by using his superior reach to elevate his effectiveness. Indeed, Radek will first use his arm length to propel his sled forward with greater speed. He will then cleverly use his long reach to enhance his possession of the puck, not only by stickhandling the disk out of range from challengers, but also by stealing pucks away from adversaries, thus giving the Team Czechia representative one of the sport's most favorable giveaway-to-takeaway ratios.

This also brings us to the pièce de résistance of Zelinka’s game, which is his play at the defensive blue line. Indeed, the Czech rear guard is the para-sport’s measuring stick at funneling opposing puck carriers towards the boards and stopping attacks before they even begin. He is also quite ingenious about it, purposefully leaving enough room for an opponent to think they can beat him by going wide, and then using his long reach to completely take away the space, turning to ridicule the idea of an attack by ending the guilty party’s attempt with them kissing the boards. Clean. Clinical. Painful.

Edge: Zelinka, who only needs one misjudgment to ruin your entire night.

Scoreboard: 1–1

Skating

Zelinka’s skating is all about his long strides. Indeed, by having a longer reach, he can hold his picks in the ice longer, giving him a greater amount of time from which he can propel his sled forward. This also benefits Radek’s acceleration, as he needs fewer strides to reach top speed. He is a little less nimble than some of his counterparts, but he has adjusted his game accordingly and his angling is second to none.

Seider’s skating, on the other hand, isn’t about long strides, but powerful ones. Each push has more strength in it than the average player’s, which is how he manufactures his speed. What stands out most about his skating, however, is his dexterity. For years, hockey fans have been accustomed to seeing small but speedy skaters counterbalanced with bigger, stronger but somewhat clumsier ones. And then came a new wave of athletes — from Chara to Hedman — and suddenly, the big men could go east-west with a nimbleness previously reserved for smaller men. The German defender belongs to this category of myth-busters, as while he won’t move the same way Quinn Hughes might, he can still shift his imposing frame in every direction and do so in a way that a previous generation could only dream of.

Edge: A lot to love with Zelinka’s long stride, but Seider’s jack-of-all-trades ability gives him the nod.

Scoreboard: 2–1 Seider

Spirit

It’s been a tumultuous few years in Detroit as the Red Wings are just now transitioning from a rebuilding franchise to perennial playoff contenders. That Head Coach Todd McLellan would name Seider an assistant-captain after just four NHL seasons, tasked with guiding an even less experienced roster through intense media scrutiny and criticism and into the playoffs after a nine-season absence, speaks volumes about the trust the Wings have in their blue-line stud. Indeed, you don't hand that responsibility to a young player unless he's built for it.

But considering Moritz has been nothing short of an anchoring presence from the moment he arrived in Hockeytown, it becomes almost a question of how could Detroit not entrust him with the responsibility? Not only has Seider consistently offered steady play, but he has taken on the role of on-ice mentor to another young and promising Red Wings top prospect in the person of Simon Edvinsson. 

While superbly talented, Edvinsson did not land in Detroit with quite the same maturity Seider did, and so immediately upon arrival, the Wings' coaching staff paired the two bucks together, using Moritz’s steady play as a calming and guiding presence for the newcomer. And even more so, just recently, it came as no surprise when the Deutschland hockey staff selected Moritz to wear an “A” in Milan, knowing several Team Germany players would be playing against NHL superstars for the first time.

Zelinka, on the other hand, doesn’t just patrol the blue line; he commands it for his whole team. Indeed, the Team Czechia captain must shoulder the heavy responsibility every game as his squad does not have an asset similar to Dylan Larkin to help take some of the pressure off of him. For evidence of this, look no further than the 2025 World Championships. The Czechs entered the tournament with only four defensemen on the roster, meaning Zelinka was going to be spending more than half the game on the ice because of his duties on special teams. Radek honored that confidence by completing the tournament with a +5 rating and zero penalty minutes, and even more remarkably, two game-winning goals. Considering Czechia won three games during the event, that comes out to a 66% ratio of game-deciding goals.

And, of course, none was more important than the one scored in the bronze medal game. The first period of that contest firmly belonged to the Czechs, but from the second frame on, Team China began taking over in terms of quality scoring chances. It was only because of Patrik Sedlacek’s Hasek-ian performance between the pipes that the game was allowed to go to overtime. And as the extra frame began, it quickly became apparent to onlookers that if Team Czechia was going to successfully defend their bronze medal, they would need one of their top players to come up with a big play.

Enter Zelinka.

Faced with a dire situation, Zelinka pushed the puck up the ice to a teammate following a turnover. After a Chinese defender knocked the puck loose from said teammate, Zelinka joined the rush, grabbed the little black disk, advanced towards the goal, and in spite of the opposing netminder skating well out into the white ice to challenge the shot, the Czech captain fired a bullet that found the back of the net. The biggest goal in the biggest game Czechia would play all tournament, coming at a moment when it looked as if the game was there for Team China's taking. What team wouldn’t want a captain who comes through in the clutch like that?

Edge: Zelinka, who has now captained his team to several podium finishes.

Scoreboard: 2–2

Sense

As discussed earlier, both players are productive offensively, just in different ways. Both players are also effective defensively, but again in different ways. So which one can better read and react?
Zelinka’s play is more transparent. He hangs back, makes zone entries impossible for the other team, and looks for opportunities to jump into the attack — not so much by rushing the puck himself, as say a Jack Wallace might, but rather by finding open ice in the other team’s end, receiving a pass once he gets there, and unleashing a shot that moves the twine. His play is steady, reliable, and he never seems to get caught up ice, an oddity for a goal-scoring defenseman.

Seider is the cornerstone of his team in its own end. He hits, blocks shots, ends cycles, and clears the front of the net with ruthless efficiency. Goaltenders dream of playing behind such selfless teammates. Offensively, the Detroit skater is less inclined to use his feet to lead the rush, generally preferring to let the puck do the work for him. His heavy assist productivity attests to his tendency to move the puck up the ice, offering the Wings quality play in transition and consistently moving play from a situation where the two Winged Wheel defensemen are sharing the puck, as to not turn it over, to an immediate counterattack with red jerseys flying across the offensive blue line because Seider’s slick pass made the play go from the first scenario to the second in an instant.

Furthermore, the Motown resident will regularly be the only defenseman on his team’s first power play unit, on which he has demonstrated an ability to regularly position and reposition himself to be staring down a shooting lane. While his release could be a little quicker, it does offer an interesting dynamic. If Seider unloads his heavy shot, he may score, but even if the goaltender makes the difficult save, there will often be an appetizing rebound waiting for a teammate. So, whenever the penalty kill unit has recognized that Seider has found a shooting lane, its members are obliged to reposition themselves to take the lane away, consequently opening up a passing lane, which we are beginning to suspect is Moritz’s preferred option anyway. It may often go unnoticed, but he sometimes doesn’t even have to shoot the puck to get the benefit of it, as the threat of a shot is enough to achieve the desired result. It's subtle. Surgical. Almost cruel.

Edge: Seider, who offers more layers to his offensive play.

Scoreboard: 3–2 Seider

Last Minute of Play

Undoubtedly, a clash of the titans.

Both players compete hard. Both define their teams. And both can make an opponent reconsider his life choices along the boards.

But on this day, the scale tips in favour of Seider.

And if speaking quite frankly, out of this entire series, there hasn’t been a single article where every chapter point came down to such a close decision. So, just like a boxing match coming down to a split decision of the judges' scorecards, on another night, in another rink, with the stakes tilted just slightly differently, Zelinka could take it. 

And that's the thing about this result. It isn't a landslide. It isn't even comfortable. But it does remind us that sometimes, the difference between better and best is no more than an inch.

Actually, in this case, it's probably even less than that.