The Detroit Red Wings may have another trade saga on their hands, not even two games into their 2026-27 season.
Elliotte Friedman gave an update on Saturday Headlines, saying, “I want to make it very clear before I start on this one: the team and the agents are not talking. There is word today around the league that unsigned Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson prefers a trade from the Red Wings.”
Friedman went on to say, “The Red Wings have made it clear to other teams that their priority is still to sign him. That is their number-one goal. But apparently his frustration at the entire situation has led him to indicate he would prefer a trade.”
Conventional wisdom says that stalemates like this wouldn’t drag into the season, but the Red Wings have been an extraordinary case. The organization parted ways with former general manager Steve Yzerman in July, three months after the 2025-26 season ended. Yzerman still sat in the general manager’s chair during the draft and free agency.
The latest indication regarding Edvinsson is another striking blow to Detroit, which has already been dealing with Dylan Larkin’s trade request. If there is silver lining here, it’s that, as Friedman noted, “the team and the agents are not talking.” This means nothing has been formalized as of now.
How The Current Simon Edvinsson Situation Unfolded
Edvinsson remained an unsigned restricted free agent throughout the summer, and negotiations failed to materialize into a new contract. Despite being unable to reach an agreement, Edvinsson skated with the Red Wings in training camp before he returned to Sweden to keep training.
The Fourth Period noted that, “According to (David) Pagnotta and (Jeff) Marek, Edvinsson has been looking for a two-year or max-term seven-year contract from the Red Wings, while Detroit wants a bridge deal.”
The biggest wrinkle here is that Detroit is still looking to work things out with Edvinsson, per Friedman. Ideally for the Red Wings, getting a deal done with Edvinsson and preventing this saga from boiling over would be in the best interest of an organization looking to build a deep rotation on the blue line.
That’s something the Red Wings have been trending toward with their younger talent making the jump. But Edvinsson was clearly also going to be a big part of that.
Losing Edvinsson Via Trade Would Be A Major Blow To The Red Wings
During Friday night’s season-opening loss, the Red Wings saw solid play from their young blueliners, particularly Anton Johansson, while Axel Sandin-Pellikka pitched in for two shots. While it was just one game, both blueliners showed encouraging play. Should that keep up, it will be a much-needed boost for Detroit.
But if the Red Wings had seen consistent play from Anton Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka with a returning Edvinsson on a bridge or a long-term contract, then they would have been in a prime position to boast one of the brighter young top-four units in the league.
If Edvinsson didn’t return and the Red Wings traded him, then Anton Johansson and Sandin-Pellikka must keep playing consistent hockey to give this organization stability at the blue line. Detroit also has Justin Faulk and Ben Chiarot, but neither is likely to be a piece in the Red Wings’ long-term plans.
Red Wings Get Troubling Simon Edvinsson Update Amid Contract Stalemate