The Detroit Red Wings could find a Dylan Larkin replacement, not in a trade involving their former captain, but in a deal for Simon Edvinsson.
The most recent chatter has posited that the Red Wings have a very interested and very willing party in the San Jose Sharks for their RFA defenseman.
But the price tag for the Sharks to get their hands on Edvinsson may cost them former second-overall pick Michael Misa.
Insider Pierre LeBrun floated this idea in a recent column in The Athletic. In the piece, he discussed the possibility of a trade between Detroit and San Jose, with Misa being the focal point of the return for Edvinsson.
“I would imagine the first name that would come up internally for the Red Wings is Michael Misa, the No. 2 pick from the 2025 draft. I have no idea if San Jose would ever entertain that, but I do know the Sharks covet Edvinsson, and, well, it’s going to take a lot to pry him out of Detroit, especially given the sizable interest from other teams.”
In other words, the price tag will be onerous for San Jose. But the Western Conference club has a plethora of good young forwards, potentially giving the Red Wings the center they are looking for.
Red Wings Want Young Center to Take Over for Dylan Larkin
Make no mistake. Michael Misa is not ready to take over for Dylan Larkin right now. The 19-year-old is in his second NHL season and has shown some mixed numbers at this point.
Last season, he scored nine goals and 21 points in 45 games. Misa missed a fair bit of time with an injury. That situation did not allow him to get fully on track. Still, the underlying numbers were encouraging. His expected goals for was at 50% with his relative Corsi at 1.0.
However, this season hasn’t been quite so kind to the potential Red Wings target. Misa has two goals and six points in 14 games. His expected goals for has nosedived to 33.0%, and his relative expected goals for is -11.9. His relative Corsi is down to -6.2, essentially making him a liability on the ice.
The numbers explain part of the reason why Misa’s ice time remains around 11:30, even if he’s getting about 1:30 of power play time per game.
Misa Could Be a Project for Detroit
All told, Misa would be a project for the Red Wings. Since it’s evident that Misa is not ready for a top-line role, the organization may try to bring him up to speed gradually.
But that’s just the problem. The Red Wings are already going through a similar situation with Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson.
At worst, Detroit would need to get back a veteran center who could step into a top-six role. That might be doable for the Sharks, but they don’t have the sort of center that the Red Wings really want.
Then again, there might be one other possibility. Getting Misa might just be a trade chip the Red Wings could use in a larger deal for the type of more established forward they seek.
That’s just an idea, as there is nothing in the rumor mill at the moment that that’s what the Wings could be looking to do.
Red Wings Could Address Center Needs With Edvinsson Trade