The Utah Mammoth are looking like the early favorites to land RFA defenseman Simon Edvinsson, as trade talks apparently heat up.
In an October 5 column in Casino Guru, notable insider Frank Seravalli cited the Utah Mammoth as the team pushing the hardest for the Detroit Red Wings blueliner.
“Sources say the Utah Mammoth have emerged as one of the most eager suitors for Simon Edvinsson, who is back training in Sweden during this contract stalemate. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported, Edvinsson at this point prefers to be traded rather than work out a deal.”
Servalli referenced Friedman’s report from last Saturday night, in which Friedman stated that Edvinsson would rather move on from Detroit instead of working out a new contract.
Seravalli also noted that the prevailing opinion around the league is that acquiring Simon Edvinsson won’t come cheap.
“’The only thing clear from our call was that it felt to me like the cost on Edvinsson is going to be very high – in both acquisition and contract to get him playing,’ one NHL GM said.”
There is no indication that a trade is imminent at this point. Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff has reportedly been taking calls, seeing what sort of offers are out there for the 23-year-old defenseman. While things could change in a heartbeat, the likelihood is that it may be a while before there’s an actual resolution to this situation, one way or another.
Mammoth Looking to Be Aggressive
If there’s one thing that characterizes Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong is that he’s not afraid to be bold. The moves Armstrong made this offseason are a testament to that approach.
But as Marco D’Amico noted in a recent interview with Armstrong, he’s not nearly done improving.
“We’re never done improving,” Armstrong said. “If something comes up, certainly we have the assets to go after that piece. We’ve been aggressive in the past, and we’re going to continue to be aggressive.”
Indeed, pulling the trigger on a deal for Simon Edvinsson would constitute being aggressive. The key thing to consider is what it will take to land a young blueliner of his degree.
Utah May Just Have the Pieces to Make Simon Edvinsson Trade Work
Perhaps the most surprising situation in this entire Simon Edvinsson ordeal is that the Red Wings aren’t necessarily looking for the same pieces as in the Dylan Larkin trade.
According to Seravalli, the Mammoth might just have the pieces to pull off an Edvinsson deal.
“Interestingly, the Red Wings said with Edvinsson they are open to either future pieces in the return – such as prospects and draft picks – as well as current roster help. That is a departure from their asking price for former captain Dylan Larkin, who is missing at least the first two games of the season, as Detroit has been steadfast on immediate on-ice help.”
If the Red Wings are willing to take futures, the Mammoth could find the pieces to make the deal work. They have several up-and-coming prospects, with a couple of draft picks still lingering on their board.
Of course, it will take more than a prospect and a couple of pieces, but as D’Amico noted in his piece, Utah is becoming a destination. That bodes well for the Mammoth, as they will still have to sign Edvinsson once they get him on the roster.
Mammoth Emerging as Favorites in Simon Edvinsson Trade Talks