The Red Wings may finally be getting a little breathing room.
After a rough start to 2026-27 and a 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey on Tuesday night, Detroit appears close to locking up Alex DeBrincat on a seven-year extension worth about $13 million per year, according to Elliotte Friedman. The same report was echoed by The Athletic’s Chris Johnston and ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, and when information starts coming out this way, it usually doesn’t stay under wraps for long.
Word is team and Alex DeBrincat closing in on approximately 7 x $13M extension
They needed some good news and are about to get it.
- Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 14, 2026
For a Red Wings team that has been surrounded by noise, this is the kind of development that cuts through all of it. DeBrincat would have been the biggest possible trade chip at the deadline if he had remained unsigned, and letting that situation linger would have only added more clutter to an already messy season.
There will be some who argue Detroit should have moved him for a haul. But DeBrincat is a star-level scorer who wants to stay, and right now that matters.
He’s also the team’s best offensive weapon by a wide margin on a club that has had real trouble scoring. That makes him too important to casually flip, even if the front office eventually needs to adjust the bigger picture somewhere else.
The contract also fits where the market is headed. The cap keeps climbing, star deals keep getting pricier, and replacing a player like DeBrincat through free agency would cost a premium. If he walked, Detroit wouldn’t be finding that production on the cheap.
The fit on the ice has only strengthened the case. DeBrincat is 28 and turns 29 in December, which means he’d be 36 when this deal ends.
There’s always some concern with undersized players aging, but his track record makes him a safer bet than most. His production has gone up every season in Detroit - 27 goals and 67 points, then 39 goals and 70 points, then 41 goals and 85 points - and he’s already started this season with eight points in six games.
Availability matters too, and DeBrincat has provided it. He’s missed only four games because of injury in his career, and none since 2020-21.
The timing is useful beyond just the contract itself. It gives the Red Wings something solid to point to while the situations with Larkin and Edvinsson continue to unfold. It also comes after what looked like Detroit’s most dangerous line of the season so far: DeBrincat-Finnie-MBN.
For a team trying to sort out what it actually is, keeping a player who wants to be there feels like a logical place to start. Detroit’s next chances to build on that are home games against Philadelphia on Thursday and San Jose on Saturday.
In Other News...
Dylan Larkin Trade Talk Now Hinges On One Massive Detroit Decision
Dylan Larkins trade request has put the Red Wings in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, with the captain holding a full no-trade clause and control over where this situation goes next. Among the teams believed to be in the mix, Florida stands out because of Larkins existing familiarity with some of the Panthers players and management from past international play, which makes the fit easier to imagine than most.
For the Panthers, the appeal is obvious. Theyre dealing with injuries and always have to juggle the salary cap carefully, so any pursuit of Larkin would have to be measured against the roster consequences of making it happen. The question now is whether Detroit and Florida can align on a framework that makes sense for both sides, especially if the price eventually requires a significant piece from the Panthers current lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Found A Dangerous New Line But Still Let One Slip Away
Alex DeBrincat gave Detroit a much-needed spark, scoring twice and adding an assist in a back-and-forth game against New Jersey, but it still ended in a 5-4 loss for the Red Wings. The Devils spread the offense around with goals from Jesper Bratt, Evan Rodrigues, Anthony Mantha and Nico Hischier, while Detroit had enough firepower to stay in it and make the night feel like more than just another defeat.
The shot margin was part of the story, too, with New Jersey testing Detroit more often over the course of the game. Even so, the Red Wings left the building knowing they had stumbled onto a line that created real problems for the Devils, the kind of combination that can change how opponents have to defend them if it keeps showing up. [Read more 🡒]
Alex DeBrincat Just Gave Blackhawks Fans A Tough Detroit Reminder
The Red Wings have locked up Alex DeBrincat for the long haul, adding another major commitment to a roster that has tried to steady itself around proven scoring talent. Detroit agreed to a contract extension with the 28-year-old winger, keeping a player who has already shown he can drive offense in multiple stops around the league and who arrives with a well-traveled NHL resume.
DeBrincat has spent parts of 10 seasons with Chicago, Ottawa and Detroit, and his career production still jumps off the page: 298 goals and 603 points in 702 games. For a Red Wings team trying to push closer to contention, the move signals more than just faith in a scorer, it also keeps one of their most recognizable forwards from drifting toward the open market after the next couple of seasons. [Read more 🡒]