Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned and reportedly prefers to be traded, but the Red Wings have no intention of parting ways with the 23-year-old defenseman.
"I have zero interest in trading Simon Edvinsson," Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff said Wednesday after the team extended forward Alex DeBrincat. "I want to keep him. Nothing’s changed on my part. I think Simon is someone that’s very hard to come by. We’ve spent a lot of time developing him, we drafted him, and again, he’s a player that we value here, that I value especially, and I know everybody in that locker room does as well.
"So, (a trade) is not something I’m entertaining. We want to sign Simon and hopefully get that done."
Edvinsson and the Red Wings have seemingly made little progress toward a new deal. A restricted free agent, Edvinsson participated in training camp without a contract in a show of good faith to the team, but went home to Sweden at the start of the season after talks between the two sides apparently stalled.
It was reported shortly thereafter by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman that Edvinsson's "preference" is to be traded. The Red Wings' most recent offer to Edvinsson has been reported as somewhere in the range of $8.5 million over six years, which is below his current market value and likely well below what he's seeking.
Now the Red Wings need to get on signing Simon Edvinsson https://t.co/R6kYQrujRE
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) October 14, 2026
Consider: Edvinsson is a mobile, 6'6, top-pair defenseman with a growing offensive game who plays north of 21 minutes a night and went +24 over the last two seasons on teams that went minus-38. He's a rare commodity.
Considering that defenseman Zeev Buium of the Canucks just signed for $9.3 million per year after one NHL season, Edvinsson can command at least that much himself. $10 million wouldn't be an unfair ask. The going rate is the going rate, and it's only going up.
The Red Wings met market prices to extend DeBrincat with a seven-year, $91 million deal worth $13 million per year that places him among the highest-paid forwards in the NHL. Are they willing to make the same kind of investment in Edvinsson?
"Simon’s no different," said Horcoff. "Simon still remains a priority for us. Again, nothing’s changed on our part or my part. Simon is a player that we’re working very, very diligently and very hard to sign. Again, he’s a big part of our future ... and a big part of our core here moving forward, so I’m gonna continue to try to get him signed and add him back in the lineup."
It's also been reported that the Red Wings initially preferred a bridge deal for Edvinsson, to control the financial commitment before he really proves himself. But that would likely only cost them money down the road, as his game grows and the salary cap continues to climb. If they believe in Edvinsson now as a top-pair defenseman, it makes little sense to wait around.
The Red Wings locked up Alex DeBrincat for the next 7 years https://t.co/81GYHCb3O8
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) October 14, 2026
On top of all that, the team clearly needs him on the ice. And the Red Wings have to get a deal done by Dec. 1 or Edvinsson, as a restricted free agent, will be ineligible to play this season.
Horcoff on Wednesday declined to go into details about the recent nature of negotiations, but confirmed that "I have talked to Simon numerous times and I’m in constant contact with his agency."
As to whether the team would prefer a short- or long-term deal for Edvinsson, Horcoff said, "With Simon, we’re open to anything, I think the details of it we’ll still keep to ourselves. But again, when you’re trying to sign a player, you have to be open minded to all options, and we certainly are."
