The Detroit Red Wings still have some significant business to take care of before the 2026-27 season starts. Dylan Larkin’s precarious future with the team has rightfully received plenty of attention this summer. After all, the star forward is the club captain, Detroit’s highest-paid player, and is a Michigan native. Nevertheless, the Red Wings also have another star to worry about, too.
Simon Edvinsson is a restricted free agent after recently finishing off his previous three-year, $5.3 million contract. Earlier this summer, Detroit was projected to reward the young defenseman with a long-term contract worth around $70 million. While this could still happen, it seems more likely that the blueliner will get a little less money from the Red Wings.
The Athletic’s Max Bultman recently put the Edvinsson situation atop his Detroit Red Wings to-do list. Detroit essentially has three options for Edvinsson’s extension: Give him a short-term bridge, a five-year deal, or a long-term contract. According to the beat writer, the club’s best route is the long-term extension. If so, Bultman believes that the defenseman will earn around $8 million per season.
Because he is so important to the team, the Red Wings want to avoid giving him a short deal. As Bultman points out, five-year contracts are becoming popular around the league. Hypothetically, this could be a solid option for both Detroit and Edvinsson. Nevertheless, fellow star blueliner Mo Seider’s current contract has five years remaining, and the Red Wings would not want to tackle both extensions at the same time.
Simon Edvinsson’s Agent Raises Eyebrows With Comments on the Detroit Red Wings
GettySimon Edvinsson has become a top-pair defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings.
For now, the Detroit Red Wings will likely have to be patient about getting Edvinsson signed. As Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff recently pointed out, the player’s agent made some interesting comments regarding the team’s upper management.
“Well, Edvinsson’s agent just recently said, like, he doesn’t know who he’s supposed to even be talking to to negotiate a contract,” Duff said on the Full Press Hockey podcast. “So that’s fairly alarming that we’re this close to the season, and he’s saying, you know, ‘we don’t know what’s going on.'”
“Now, historically, if you look back to the (Lucas) Raymond and (Moritz) Seider negotiations, they were all finalized right on the eve of training camp, so I don’t expect anything to be done with Edvinsson until right around the time they’re supposed to report to camp.”
Despite the agent’s comments, Shawn Horcoff is currently the interim general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. As a result, any contract negotiations between the player and club almost certainly involve Horcoff for now.
Detroit Currently Narrowing GM Search
It was recently revealed that the Detroit Red Wings are amping up their search for a new GM. According to a source of Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, team officials started the hunt with “over 100 names.” Although a timetable was not provided, the source informed St. James that it will be a “very thorough strategic process.”
While there is uncertainty surrounding Edvinsson, he is expected to remain in Detroit. The new GM will have to make a suitable offer to the blueliner as quickly as possible, though. The big Swede recorded 25 points last year, while mainly being deployed on the top line alongside Seider.
Red Wings Star Likely to get $56 Million Deal Despite Agent Confusion