Contract negotiations between the Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Simon Edvinsson have stretched into mid-October, delaying the 23-year-old’s start to the 2026-27 season as he seeks his first deal beyond his entry-level contract.
Edvinsson has developed into a top-four defender in Detroit, yet disagreements over salary terms have stalled progress even after the club offered short-, mid-, and long-term options.
The impasse led him to return to Sweden for training and to indicate a preference for a trade away from the organization.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, however, has made clear that Detroit has no interest in accommodating that request, according to comments relayed by Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
The decision keeps the sides locked in talks amid a rising market for young blueliners.
Over the summer, several defenders aged 23 or younger secured significant commitments, including Brandt Clarke with the Los Angeles Kings, Simon Nemec with the Calgary Flames, and Pavel Mintyukov with the Anaheim Ducks, each landing five-year deals with average annual values above $7 million.
Jamie Drysdale of the Philadelphia Flyers also signed a four-year pact at a $6.5 million cap hit.
Those benchmarks provide context for Edvinsson, who has ranked second on the Red Wings in average ice time since 2024 while posting 56 points, 180 hits, and 292 blocked shots across 150 games—roughly 31 points, 98 hits, and 160 blocks per 82-game season.
Edvinsson has shown he can contribute consistently against strong opposition, and his next contract will carry him deeper into his prime years. Still, his role is unlikely to surpass that of Detroit’s cornerstone defenseman Moritz Seider.
Recent high-end deals elsewhere, such as Bowen Byram’s six-year, $12.5 million average annual value extension with the Chicago Blackhawks or Zeev Buium’s eight-year, $9.38 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks, reflect situations where those players are expected to lead their blue lines.
Edvinsson will not face that same burden alongside Seider.
Market comparisons suggest a deal in the range of three to six years at roughly $6 million to $8.5 million annually, though anything higher could exceed Seider’s current cap hit.
Detroit enters the discussions with about $15.92 million in available salary-cap space, per PuckPedia, and Horcoff has indicated the team is working diligently toward an agreement while remaining open to various structures.
The Red Wings could use the reinforcement immediately: through six games they have allowed 3.17 goals per game (tied for 11th-worst in the league) and scored only 2.33 per game (fifth-worst). The club has already dressed eight defensemen, with only Seider, Justin Faulk, and William Wallinder recording multiple points.
Edvinsson would represent a clear upgrade, likely stepping into 20-plus minutes a night and easing the load on Ben Chiarot and Albert Johansson, currently the top two left-side options.
With the books somewhat clarified after a recent seven-year extension for Alex DeBrincat, a stated desire to retain Edvinsson, and an obvious need on the back end, Detroit has both the flexibility and the incentive to reach a resolution sooner rather than later.
