Simon Edvinsson “prefers” a trade out of Detroit rather than signing a contract extension, and the holdout Red Wings defenseman remains unsigned and training in his native Sweden. But a new trade pitch published Sunday could solve that problem, and upgrade the blue line for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In a user-constructed trade proposal using the PuckGM roster-building tools, the Maple Leafs land Edvinsson for Oliver Ekman-Larsson, two prospects and two picks, but does that fix Detroit’s problem?
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Oct. 3 that Edvinsson, a restricted free agent, “prefers a trade from the Red Wings.” David Pagnotta reported that Edvinsson wants the maximum seven years at $9 million to $11 million annually, while Chris Johnston reported that Detroit mainly pitched a shorter deal, according to The Hockey News.
The Red Wings have since moved off a pure bridge offer, Friedman said, adding that they “have gauged his market,” as quoted by ClutchPoints coverage.
Red Wings’ Simon Edvinsson Trade Request Explained
Edvinsson did skate in Detroit’s first training camp practice on Sept. 17, minus a contract.
“He showed up, and he was ready to perform,” coach Todd McLellan said, as quoted by NHL.com.
Then Edvinsson went home to Sweden. He did not play in a preseason game or in Detroit’s opening five games, four of them losses, according to The Hockey News.
Edvinsson, 23, was born in Kungsbacka, Sweden, and stands 6-foot-6 and 222 pounds. Detroit drafted him sixth overall in 2021, and he has 19 goals and 41 assists in 175 games. Last season he averaged 22 minutes, 21 seconds, second on the team behind Moritz Seider’s 25:40, according to Cotsonika.
Maple Leafs, Red Wings and the Edvinsson Trade Winner
Ekman-Larsson, 35, is a Karlskrona, Sweden, native whom Phoenix drafted sixth overall in 2009. He has 539 points in 1,143 games across stops in Arizona, Vancouver, Florida (where he won the 2024 Stanley Cup) and Toronto. He signed with Toronto for four years and $14 million, and his $3.5 million cap hit, which includes a modified no-trade clause, runs through 2027-28, according to PuckPedia.
The prospects in the proposed deal remain a long way from cracking NHL lineups. Tinus Luc Koblar, a Kranj, Slovenia, native who plays internationally for Norway, went 64th overall to Toronto in 2025 and signed a three-year entry-level contract in June, according to NHL.com. He scored 14 points in 47 games for Leksands of the Swedish Hockey League last season. Ben Danford, a right-shot defenseman from Madoc, Ontario, went 31st overall in 2024, captained Oshawa and won the Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies, according to Elite Prospects.
The money moves in Detroit’s favor. The Maple Leafs shed Ekman-Larsson’s $3.5 million, but they would then owe Edvinsson the $9 million to $11 million he is reportedly seeking, a net payroll increase of $5.5 million to $7.5 million a year. Detroit holds more than $16 million in cap space, according to Ground News, so absorbing Ekman-Larsson fits comfortably.
Toronto gets the best player in the deal. Edvinsson is 12 years younger than Ekman-Larsson, four inches taller and averaged 22:21 a night last season to the veteran’s 20:36. Detroit gets a first-round pick, a second-round pick and depth, but neither Koblar nor Danford has played an NHL game.
As an exit, the swap works. As the most efficient fix, it does not. Detroit would send away its second-busiest defenseman for a 35-year-old averaging 16:20 this season, while Friedman said the Red Wings are open to the longer contract Edvinsson wants and the cap space to pay for it.
The clock adds pressure. Whoever holds his rights must sign him by Dec. 1 or watch him sit out 2026-27, according to Ground News. That leaves 50 days to answer the question Friedman left open, according to The Hockey News — how serious Edvinsson truly is about wanting out of Detroit.
Maple Leafs Trade Pitch Lands Simon Edvinsson for $14 Million Veteran