Each day without a new contract has led to increased trade speculation about Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, as many as ten teams have contacted the Red Wings about Edvinsson’s availability, citing the Boston Bruins specifically as a potential suitor. Earlier this week, Frank Seravalli of Victory+ listed the Utah Mammoth and Seattle Kraken as two more teams with interest in Edvinsson. 

Regardless of the increased trade interest, LeBrun reported that interim General Manager Shawn Horcoff has told teams the Red Wings still intend to extend Edvinsson. Until that changes, an interested suitor would have to blow Detroit away with their offer. LeBrun shared that the Red Wings have presented Edvinsson and his representation with long-, mid-, and short-term deals, though a sizeable gap in salary demands remains.

The gap in salary demands could be because of how the Red Wings have operated recently, particularly during the Steve Yzerman regime. Detroit likes its best players to earn the highest salaries on the team, regardless of the rising salary cap. In this case, the Red Wings may be hesitant to give Edvinsson a larger check than Moritz Seider’s $8.55MM salary because, well, Seider is better than Edvinsson.

If that is what is happening, it’s an obtuse way of thinking. First, because the salary cap was $88MM in 2024-25, Seider earned 9.72% of Detroit’s available cap space in the first year of his deal. If Detroit signed Edvinsson to a $10MM AAV deal, it would account for 9.61% of this year’s cap space. Simply put, Seider would still have earned more than Edvinsson, given the financial constraints of the time.

Second, Seider is somewhat of a unicorn. Given his value to the team and compared to his peers in the league, Seider is signed to one of the most team-friendly contracts. Yes, Horcoff wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t push for a team-friendly deal, but there’s no reason Edvinsson should be punished because of their success with Seider.

Lastly, even if Seider had a higher salary, which would give the Red Wings more flexibility in how they like to operate, they aren’t in a position to play hardball with anyone. Detroit has the longest playoff drought in the NHL at ten years, and they can’t afford to have their second-best defenseman sidelined because of a contract dispute. This line of thinking could, of course, lead them to overpay for Edvinsson, but that’s the reality.

Of the three teams listed as having interest in Edvinsson, he would be a clear fit in all three situations. Despite being 6’6″, Edvinsson is in the upper quarter of the league in skating speed, according to NHL EDGE. Furthermore, he’s been quietly productive over the last two years, scoring 16 goals and 56 points in 150 games with a +24 rating, averaging 21:43 of ice time per game. He’s also blocked 292 shots and delivered 180 hits over that time, making him a young, top-four two-way defenseman already.

In Boston, Edvinsson would likely take Nikita Zadorov’s spot on the second pairing, allowing Zadorov to fill in more comfortably on the bottom pair. Unfortunately, the Bruins don’t have the best prospect pipeline to entice the Red Wings. However, Boston has its own first-round pick this season, and a condition-heavy first-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs. If they were willing to include Mason Lohrei in negotiations, and there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t, it could get Detroit’s attention.

Unlike the Bruins, the Mammoth and Kraken have a boatload of prospects they can throw at the Red Wings. Veteran Nate Schmidt has filled in well in Utah’s top-four, but Edvinsson would be an objective upgrade. Meanwhile, with blue liner Vince Dunn in the final year of his contract and no extension in sight, the Kraken may decide that Edvinsson is a better long-term option.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.