The Detroit Red Wings are not looking to trade away Simon Edvinsson anytime soon. The star defenseman remains a restricted free agent despite the 2026-27 season being underway. He most recently finished off a three-year, $5.32 million deal (around $900K AAV), but is looking for a substantial raise. Because of this, negotiations remain at a standstill.
Interim Red Wings general manager Shawn Horcoff has typically been tight-lipped about the situation in recent weeks. Nevertheless, the exec revealed on October 14 that Detroit does not want to offload the blueliner. According to Helene St. James from the Detroit Free Press, Horcoff told reporters on Wednesday that the Red Wings “have zero interest” in trading Edvinsson.
Horcoff even continued by claiming that a trade is not something the Detroit Red Wings are “entertaining.” Instead, the club still hopes that they can sign him to an extension. It was previously revealed that Detroit has offered Edvinsson a six-year deal worth around $8.5 million per season. The star, however, has not accepted the offer and the two sides continue to negotiate.
St. James also recently provided a worrying update on the situation. According to the reporter, the Red Wings have become frustrated that Edvinsson “won’t answer or return calls.” This would obviously hinder any serious negotiations between the defenseman and Detroit. Nevertheless, Horcoff is still attempting to get an extension done.
Detroit Red Wings Have Plenty of Money to Reward Simon Edvinsson
Because of the precarious situation, the Detroit Red Wings have been linked to trading Edvinsson in recent days. One particularly interesting option was sending the highly rated blueliner to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The potential link made sense for several reasons. Pittsburgh has a clear need in defense and ample available funds. On the flip side, Horcoff’s son Will is a top prospect in the Penguins organization.
While a deal between the two teams could still occur at some point, the Red Wings are trying their best to secure Edvinsson. Horcoff has potentially helped himself by getting star forward Alex DeBrincat to sign a new deal. The team’s top scorer from last season received a massive seven-year, $91 million ($13 million AAV) extension on October 13.
Tying down DeBrincat shows Edvinsson (and possibly Dylan Larkin) that the Detroit Red Wings want to remain competitive. The move also still leaves Horcoff plenty of money to strike a deal with the young defenseman. According to PuckPedia.com, Detroit has nearly $16 million of projected cap space.
Detroit has to Increase Offer to Star Blueliner
Being competitive is, however, only one aspect of contract negotiations between the Detroit Red Wings and Edvinsson. The budding star also wants ample playing time and a substantial salary. Playing time should not be an issue with the Red Wings. Head coach Todd McLellan has regularly paired the youngster with star blueliner Mo Seider on Detroit’s top line. Edvinsson averaged over 22 minutes per game last season.
Ultimately, money will determine if Horcoff can bring back the Swede in the near future. Recent deals involving Bowen Byram ($12.5 million AAV) and Zeev Buium ($9.38 million AAV) likely drove up Edvinsson’s asking price. As a result, the Red Wings may have to eclipse the $10 million AAV mark to get an extension done.
Red Wings Reveal Edvinsson Plan After Giving Star $91 Million