There’s still a sliver of hope in Detroit that Simon Edvinsson stays put, but the noise around the Red Wings is getting louder by the day.
TSN’s Darren Dreger said teams that have shown interest in Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin are starting to lose patience with how the Red Wings are handling things. According to Dreger, interim general manager Shawn Horcoff hasn’t moved off the offers already on the table.
“What I see is a growing frustration with both Edvinsson and Larkin from the teams that have expressed interest in these players that Shawn Horcoff, the interim general manager, isn’t willing to negotiate up off those existing offers that have been tabled again on both of these players.
The Red Wings keep looking for the perfect package. Maybe it’s outside the list of teams on Larkin.
Perhaps it’s outside the level of interest in Edvinsson. But the waiting game appears to be a dangerous one.”
That uncertainty is reflected in The Fourth Period’s latest Top 25 NHL Trade Board, where both Red Wings sit near the top of the list. Larkin checks in at No. 2, while Edvinsson is right behind him at No. 3.
Kucherov leads the board at No. 1, with Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning linked to Montreal, Toronto, the NY Rangers and Chicago. Larkin’s list is even longer, with Vegas, Florida, Minnesota, Dallas, Tampa Bay, New Jersey, Colorado, Utah, Carolina, Washington, Montreal, Boston, Los Angeles, St. Louis and San Jose all mentioned as possible fits.
Edvinsson’s name is tied to St. Louis, Nashville, Carolina, Montreal, Toronto, Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston and San Jose.
The rest of the top five features Dmitri Voronkov at No. 4, linked to Vancouver, Nashville, Chicago, Seattle and Ottawa, and Ivan Miroshnichenko at No. 5, with Vancouver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Calgary, Seattle and Philadelphia listed.
The board also includes Bryan Rust at No. 6, Jake DeBrusk at No.
7, Shane Wright at No. 8 and Rickard Rakell at No. 9.
Jordan Binnington comes in at No. 10.
Further down, Brady Skjei is No. 11, Morgan Frost No.
12, Rasmus Ristolainen No. 13, Yakov Trenin No. 14 and Connor Zary No.
- Zary is linked to Vancouver.
Danila Yurov lands at No. 17 and is linked to Detroit, while Alexander Nikishin is No. 19 and has been connected to Nashville, St. Louis, the NY Islanders, Seattle and the NY Rangers. Elias Pettersson is No. 20 and linked to Los Angeles.
The board closes with Kirby Dach at No. 21, Erik Karlsson at No.
22, Dakota Joshua at No. 23, Nic Hague at No. 24 and Sam Montembeault at No.
The bubble list features Ryan O’Reilly, Morgan Rielly, Jonathan Marchessault, Pavel Zacha and Owen Tippett.
In Other News...
Red Wings Face A Crucial Anton Johansson Decision On Defense
Anton Johansson has given the Red Wings a little something to think about on the back end. The rookie has flashed offensive upside, but his current pairing with Andreas Englund has not been the cleanest fit for a young defenseman trying to show what he can do with the puck. Detroit has enough moving parts on defense right now that every combination matters, and Johanssons development is quickly becoming part of the bigger lineup conversation.
Jacob Bernard-Dockers recent recall adds another wrinkle, since he offers a different kind of temporary partner for Johansson while the Red Wings sort through their options. With Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson also in the mix as possible returnees, Detroit may soon have to decide not just who plays, but which pairing gives Anton Johansson the best chance to keep building on the promise he has already shown. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings May Have Found Their Second Pair Answer Too Late
The Red Wings have been sorting through their defensive combinations for weeks, and one pairing has started to separate itself from the rest: Justin Faulk and William Wallinder. In a season where Detroit has been searching for answers on the blue line, the two have logged meaningful minutes together and produced the kind of underlying results that make coaches pay attention, especially when the rest of the pairings have been more uneven.
The question now is less about whether the duo has worked and more about how far the team can push it without creating other problems. Detroit has to balance a possible increase in their workload with the bigger picture of player development and deployment, which is never simple this late in the season. If this really is the best second-pair option the Red Wings have found, the lingering issue is whether they found it in time to make the most of it. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Blue Line Debate Starts With Moritz Seiders Heavy Lift
Moritz Seider has become the center of a familiar Red Wings discussion on the blue line: who best complements him, and what Detroit is really getting from its top defensive pair. The numbers around Seider and Ben Chiarot suggest the pairing has been serviceable more than dominant, even with both players seeing plenty of time together, and the contrast in their underlying results has only sharpened the conversation about how the defense should be arranged.
Seider has done the heavier lifting, showing better impact in several advanced measures while Chiarot has been asked to handle a role that stretches beyond what he usually provides. Other defensemen have entered the picture as well, and lineup changes have already altered the mix once, which makes the debate less about one pair in isolation and more about whether Detroit can find a better fit around its most important blueliner. [Read more 🡒]