Sometimes a team and a player can end up in a standoff that seems like it might never end.
That’s the situation that the Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Simon Edvinsson find themselves in. He wants a big contract. The Red Wings might trade him instead. But in the meantime, Edvinsson isn’t playing and Detroit is missing one of its best players.
And if it weren’t for certain deadlines, maybe the staredown really wouldn’t end.
But one particular date on the calendar could make it pretty clear one way or the other whether the Red Wings are going to have any future at all with Edvinsson.
Key Date for Trading Simon Edvinsson
The date to remember here is Dec. 1.
Yes, that’s a little ways off still, so this could be in a holding pattern for another month. But if the Red Wings want to get this right, that might be the best they can do.
December 1 is the deadline for a restricted free agent to sign a new contract.
“As much as the organization would rather hold onto a big defenseman who gets around the ice extremely well and profiles as a cornerstone piece, that may become untenable if Edvinsson’s position doesn’t change ahead of the Dec. 1 signing deadline for restricted free agents,” The Athletic’s Chris Johnston wrote as part of a new article on Wednesday.
That will be the toughest part for Detroit with Edvinsson, and it’s what makes it a little different than the Dylan Larkin trade request.
With Larkin, the Red Wings saw what might’ve been their ceiling with him on their team.
Edvinsson, though, is still rising. If they trade him now, they’ll never get to see first-hand how good he can become.
Will Red Wings Trade Simon Edvinsson?
It sure seems like other teams would want a young defenseman with Edvinsson’s skillset. It’s just up to the Red Wings to decide what to do.
“Still unsigned coming off a season in which he played 22 minutes per night, not to mention attending Red Wings training camp without a contract in September, Edvinsson seems inclined to turn the page and start fresh,” Johnston writes.
The Red Wings could likely get a big return for Edvinsson, who would then seek a big deal with his team.
“Edvinsson could certainly net Detroit a massive return in a trade, even if the acquiring team would be making that deal knowing he’s in line for a monster raise,” Johnston writes. “Players of his age and ability aren’t often made available in a trade.”
Red Wings Trading Simon Edvinsson Depends on Key Date