The Red Wings may not have a deal done with Simon Edvinsson yet, but the market around him just got a lot more expensive.
After an offseason that saw the NHL contract record set and then broken three more times, Detroit’s top defenseman-in-waiting is still without an extension. And while Edvinsson is nowhere near the money tier of two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar, the new contract handed to Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium has effectively reset the conversation.
Vancouver gave the 20-year-old an eight-year deal with a $9.38 million AAV, even though he has not yet played a full 82-game season. Buium was the centerpiece of the trade the Canucks made with the Wild for Quinn Hughes, who is also in extension talks, and Vancouver’s willingness to absorb that kind of cap hit comes from its rebuilding position and its bet on Buium’s upside.
The Canucks are clearly banking on the long term. Getting him locked up for eight years, before that kind of contract is no longer allowed under the NHL’s CBA, was the move they wanted.
For Detroit, though, that deal raises the floor for Edvinsson’s next contract. If Buium can command that kind of number with 76 career NHL games and 26 points across his rookie season with the Wild and Canucks, Edvinsson has every reason to push for more.
The comparison is close enough to matter. Edvinsson put up 25 points in 72 games last season, his second year in the league, which was a step down from his rookie production.
He also missed time because of two separate injuries. Still, his defensive work gives him a clear edge.
Edvinsson finished with a +12 plus/minus in each of the last two seasons, while Buium ended his rookie year at -24 with the Canucks.
That’s the kind of separation that matters when the contract talks start.
At this point, it looks like only a matter of when the Red Wings make Edvinsson one of their long-term pieces. With no GM currently in place to handle the negotiation, the timing is in limbo for now.
Former GM Steve Yzerman already set a useful benchmark when he signed Mo Seider to a seven-year extension at a $8.55 million AAV a couple of years ago. That deal now looks like a bargain. Edvinsson is not Seider, but the 6-foot-6 Swede has done enough to show he belongs in Detroit for the long haul.
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For the Red Wings, the appointment is less about the letter on his sweater than what it says about his trajectory. Leadership roles at the college level can matter as much as raw skill when a young player is trying to show he can handle the next level, and Plantes path will keep drawing attention as the season unfolds. The only real question now is how soon Detroit decides to bring that development under its own roof. [Read more 🡒]