The Edmonton Oilers are expected to keep circling scoring wingers as they hunt for another real top-six option, and Alex DeBrincat has the kind of profile that naturally jumps off the page.
He would fit. He scores.
He can play a top-six role. Put him next to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and you’ve got another dangerous offensive piece for Edmonton’s attack.
But a recent trade proposal involving DeBrincat also made one thing pretty clear: Detroit Red Wings fans do not think he’s available at anything close to a bargain.
The proposed deal sent DeBrincat to Edmonton in exchange for Quinn Hutson, Kasperi Kapanen and a protected first-round pick. It sparked plenty of conversation, but the reaction leaned heavily one way. Most observers, especially around Detroit, felt the Red Wings would be getting the short end.
That response is where the real story starts.
If a package like Hutson, Kapanen and a protected first feels light to Detroit fans, then the Red Wings may value DeBrincat far more than some outside the market expected. Hutson brings promise, Kapanen gives an NHL roster piece, and the first-round pick adds another meaningful future asset. For Edmonton, that’s already a solid offer for a player who could be viewed as more of a rental.
And still, plenty of people weren’t buying it.
One reply put it bluntly: “No. No.
No.” The pushback was strong enough to suggest that DeBrincat isn’t being seen in Detroit as just another useful winger.
Many there appear to view him as a core player.
That’s the question Edmonton has to answer now: does Detroit feel the same way?
Fan reaction doesn’t set the market, but it can reveal how a player is perceived inside a city. In this case, DeBrincat seems to carry a higher value in Detroit than the average trade board might suggest. If the Red Wings see him as part of their long-term foundation, the Oilers would almost certainly need to go much higher to get traction.
That could mean another premium prospect or a young NHL player on top of a first-round pick. And once the price reaches that level, Edmonton may decide the better move is to keep looking.
DeBrincat would help the Oilers. That part is easy.
The hard part is finding a price both sides can live with. If Detroit treats him as close to untouchable, the cost could outstrip the payoff fast.
The reaction to this proposal may have exposed the biggest roadblock of all: the Red Wings may simply think DeBrincat is worth more than other teams are willing to pay.
In Other News...
Oilers May Have Finally Found A Real Answer In Net
For years, Edmonton has been searching for a steady answer in goal, cycling through Cam Talbot, Mike Smith, Devan Dubnyk, Mikko Koskinen and Stuart Skinner with mixed results. So when the organization took another swing at the position this summer, it fit the long-running pattern of the Oilers trying to solve one of the most stubborn issues on the roster.
The name attached to the latest gamble is Devon Levi, a young goalie with a strong amateur and collegiate track record who arrives with plenty of intrigue around his upside. The questions follow him, too, and most of them center on whether his game can translate cleanly to the NHL level, where size concerns often shadow smaller netminders and leave Edmonton still waiting to see if this one finally sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Still Have A Goalie Question Behind Linus Ullmark
Ottawas push to chase a third straight playoff berth in 2026-27 is going to hinge in large part on what happens behind Linus Ullmark. The veteran is back as the starter after a difficult prior season, and the Senators are counting on a steadier showing from their crease after leaning so heavily on goaltending last year.
Samuel Ersson, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, is penciled in as the backup, but his NHL track record has left some room for doubt. That is why the clubs options in goal still feel a little open-ended, with another veteran name on the market giving the Senators something to weigh as they sort out who can best support Ullmark over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Is About To Make Oilers History
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is on the verge of adding another milestone to a career that has already made him one of the defining Oilers of his era. The longtime forward sits among the franchise leaders in goals, assists and points, and his durability has been just as remarkable as his production over the years.
Now, with the season just getting underway, he is lined up to pass Kevin Lowe for the most games played in franchise history. Nugent-Hopkins is expected to tie the mark on Oct. 10 and move past it on Oct. 13 during an early-season road swing, a fitting next step for a player who has been at the center of Edmontons story for so long. [Read more 🡒]