The Detroit Red Wings are stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. For starters, former captain Dylan Larkin’s place on the team is currently up in the air. Despite previously requesting a trade, the center remains on the team. On top of this, RFA Simon Edvinsson remains without a contract and could soon be traded.
Recent reports claimed that Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has offered the defenseman an extension in the neighborhood of six years, $8.5 million AAV. Nevertheless, Edvinsson is not exactly thrilled with the proposal. Helene St. James from the Detroit Free Press is now reporting a particularly worrying update on the situation.
“Teammates are baffled by Edvinsson’s decision to go to Sweden – a full day’s journey involving connecting flights – after going to the trouble to arrange insurance so that he could practice with them during camp,” writes St. James. “Front office personnel are frustrated he won’t answer or return calls.”
The fact that Edvinsson is not answering Horcoff’s calls is a significant red flag for the Detroit Red Wings. With this in mind, Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz has named potential landing spots for the Swede, assuming he is traded soon. Among the teams mentioned by the reporter were the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh has a prominent prospect who could be of interest to Detroit: Will Horcoff.
Detroit Red Wings Exec’s Son Could be Involved in Simon Edvinsson Trade
The son of the Detroit Red Wings exec was selected by the Penguins in the first round of the 2025 draft. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman recently raved about Will Horcoff during a recent pipeline review. According to the reporter, the University of Michigan star is “a very skilled big man who can make small-man-type plays in tight areas.” Horcoff was ranked as Pittsburgh’s fifth-best youngster by Pronman.
Along with the potential Horcoff connection, the Penguins have other attractive assets. Defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke could also be of interest to the Red Wings. Pittsburgh also has a plethora of draft picks to work with. Although Detroit prefers receiving NHL-ready players in any trade, adding a quality draft pick could very well help sweeten the deal.
The Penguins also have ample funds at the moment. According to PuckPedia.com, the club has nearly $8 million in projected cap space. Assuming the Detroit Red Wings take an NHL veteran as part of the deal, Pittsburgh would have enough space to reward Edvinsson. The Penguins also have a significant need for a young, star blueliner with Erik Karlsson and Sam Girard set for free agency next summer.
Detroit Still Attempting to Sign Budding Star
Horcoff and the Detroit Red Wings would likely love to still re-sign Edvinsson. After all, the 23-year-old blueliner has been a key piece of the puzzle for the club. In fact, he previously logged top-line minutes alongside Moritz Seider during the 2025-26 season. The defensive duo was quite easily the team’s leaders in plus/minus rating on the campaign.
Nevertheless, the contract standoff into the 2026-27 season is clearly not a good sign. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman also recently revealed that Edvinsson “prefers” a trade away from Detroit. A trade in the near future is seemingly more likely than ever.
Red Wings Star Refuses Team’s Calls, Linked to Penguins Trade