Report: Red Wings’ Simon Edvinsson prefers to be traded
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the Detroit Red Wings, it does.
According to a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Saturday night, defenseman Simon Edvinsson would prefer to be traded out of Detroit, as opposed to the current stalemate the two parties are currently in.
Edvinsson and the Red Wings have been in a contract stalemate for several months, as the defenseman became a restricted free agent on July 1st, but the two parties have yet to agree on a new contract. He had reported to training camp last month out of good faith with the team, but after talks continued to stall, he returned home to Sweden.
Now, as Friedman reports, it appears his preference is to leave the team. This stems from frustration with the team, as the prolonged contract negotiations have not been what he was hoping for. Edvinsson’s agent and the Red Wings are currently not talking.
Since Edvinsson is still in his RFA years, he doesn’t have the no-trade clause benefits to specify which teams he can and can’t go to, so that will be in the hands of the Red Wings.
Edvinsson was Detroit’s sixth-overall pick in 2021, and is an RFA after the conclusion of his entry-level contract. He’s played parts of four seasons in Detroit, and is coming off a season where he had nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 72 games.
A large reason why the Red Wings have been unable to get a contract done with Edvinsson is because the franchise is in a limbo period as they search for a new general manager. Steve Yzerman stepped down from the role on July 15th, and have yet to hire one. Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM on September 15th, indicating the team is open to making moves until finding a permanent replacement, so one would have expected they could have come to an agreement with Edvinsson by now.
Edvinsson is not the only trade request the Red Wings are dealing with, as Dylan Larkin is also looking to get out of Detroit. Larkin requested a trade back on June 4th, and while the GM search has likely stalled any attempts to move on from the long-time Wing, he has also limited the options for the team to move him to.
