The next Detroit Red Wings general manager is walking into a situation that won’t wait for a long adjustment period. Around the NHL, new hires usually get the benefit of the doubt and a little breathing room.
Not here. With only two weeks left before training camp, the Red Wings need decisions, not patience.
There are four immediate items on the new GM’s plate, and all of them matter. Simon Edvinsson needs a contract extension.
Dylan Larkin’s future needs to be addressed. The organization has to settle on what to do with Alex DeBrincat.
And above all else, the franchise has to choose a direction.
That last point is the real hinge. The Red Wings have to decide whether they’re trying to repair things with Larkin and chase the playoffs now, or whether they’re prepared to bottom out and retool for a stronger future. Whatever path they choose, dragging it out is not an option.
The easiest place to start is Edvinsson. He wants to stay in Detroit and has made it clear he hopes to land a long-term deal.
Getting that done would send a clear message to fans that the new GM plans to build around the young core. It would also show the organization is willing to pay players who have earned raises.
It would also buy the rest of the roster a little peace. Once Edvinsson’s deal is handled, the Red Wings can at least move forward with one less distraction hanging over the room. Right now, stability matters, and this is the cleanest way to create some of it.
Then comes the much messier issue: Larkin. He’s the big elephant in the room, and the idea of smoothing things over now feels like a stretch.
The next GM has to find out how much cooperation Larkin is willing to give the new regime. If he’ll widen his trade list, that opens the door to more possibilities and a better chance of finding the right return.
If he won’t, the organization has to make a harder call about what it really wants to be.
A future-focused move would mean chasing younger players, picks and prospects. A win-now approach would mean a team like the Minnesota Wild - or whichever club Larkin names - has to come up with the kind of offer that makes sense. At this point, Larkin’s own preferences may end up shaping the rest of his career.
He can try to make it work in Hockeytown, but that would mean dealing with fans and media head-on. Or he can push for a fresh start, which would leave him waiting on Bill Guerin or pushing to expand his trade list. Either way, the Red Wings can’t afford to sit back and hope this sorts itself out.
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Kealtys reputation was built on identifying talent, not chasing headlines, and that background has kept him in the conversation for other top jobs before. A former player whose career was cut short by concussion issues, he has spent years around the draft process and talent evaluation, the kind of experience that can resonate in a market still measuring every move through the lens of long-term roster building. The unanswered question is how seriously Detroit is taking him compared with the more familiar names in the mix. [Read more 🡒]