The Detroit Red Wings have two major contract situations hanging over them right now, but they are not on the same timetable. Dylan Larkin wants out.
Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned. And if Detroit is going to sort through both messes properly, the defenseman has to be handled first.
That’s the key point for interim general manager Shawn Horcoff: Edvinsson’s situation carries a hard deadline, while Larkin’s does not. The Red Wings can move the veteran center in November, at the deadline, or even next summer. Edvinsson, as a restricted free agent, has to sign an NHL contract by Dec. 1 to be eligible to play in the league this season, no matter where that contract comes from.
The urgency around Edvinsson only grew on Oct. 25, when the Carolina Hurricanes settled their own restricted free agent standoff by signing Alexander Nikishin to a 1-year, $3 million deal. With that done, Edvinsson has become one of the league’s most closely watched unresolved contract situations.
His stance has been clear for weeks. On Oct. 3, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on Saturday Headlines on Sportsnet that Edvinsson would prefer a trade, while Detroit was telling teams it still preferred to sign him.
Horcoff has continued to say the Red Wings want to keep the defenseman and have no interest in trading him. That tracks with how valuable Edvinsson has become to the organization.
He was the sixth-overall pick in the 2021 Draft, played 72 games last season, finished with nine goals and 25 points, and logged more than 22 minutes per night. He’s 23 and entering the part of his career where the next step matters most.
Larkin’s situation is different in almost every way. He is 30, under contract through 2030-31 at an $8.7 million cap hit, and his list now includes 10 teams. He is still producing as a top-line center, but Detroit has the time to decide how and when to move him because there is no calendar forcing its hand.
That timing matters even more because of the cap. As of Oct. 8, the Red Wings had about $16.8 million in projected space, according to PucksandStats’ cap projections.
That gives them room to maneuver, but not enough to ignore how much a new Edvinsson contract will shape the rest of the roster. Moritz Seider, Detroit’s other cornerstone defenseman, is already on an $8.55 million cap hit from the 7-year deal he signed in 2024.
Knowing Edvinsson’s number first would give Horcoff a much cleaner picture of what Detroit can absorb in a Larkin trade, especially if a capped-out contender needs salary sent back the other way.
It would also sharpen what the Red Wings should demand in return. On Oct. 22, Friedman reported that Detroit has started asking about young centres in trade talks, though he could not confirm whether those conversations involve Larkin, Edvinsson, or both.
If Edvinsson is signed, the Larkin deal can be built around replacing a center. If he isn’t, Detroit may have to cover the blue line and the middle of the ice at the same time. That is a much tougher job, particularly with teams like the Minnesota Wild already tight against the cap, a problem that has already complicated the market for the former captain.
For now, the Red Wings are still in the race, sitting at 5-4-3 after a shootout win in Edmonton on Oct. 26. That gives them some breathing room with Larkin, who is still contributing to a competitive team while his future is sorted out.
Edvinsson doesn’t come with that kind of flexibility. His deadline is fixed, and every day without a deal narrows Detroit’s options.
The Red Wings need to finish that business first, then turn to Larkin with a full read on the cap and the roster. If they get the order wrong, they risk making an already difficult situation much worse.
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Recent talks have taken place between Larkins camp and the team, and Detroit is expected to address the situation publicly at some point soon. For now, the franchise is left navigating a delicate standoff around one of its most important players, with the direction of the next step still hanging over the organization. [Read more 🡒]