The San Jose Sharks spent the summer beefing up their blue line, but the long view still has some gaps. That’s what makes the possibility of Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson so intriguing - and so complicated.
Edvinsson, a pending restricted free agent who reportedly would prefer a trade, would have looked like a perfect fit for San Jose a little more than three months ago. Now the question is whether the Sharks can realistically make it work after already committing a significant amount of money to their defense. If they want him, the cost would be steep.
The most likely name to come up in any deal is Sam Dickinson. He would fill the opening on Detroit’s blue line, and he’s three years younger than Edvinsson with plenty of upside. Even so, Edvinsson is the better player by a wide margin right now, which means Dickinson alone wouldn’t be enough to get it done.
San Jose would almost certainly have to add another former first-round pick. That could mean Filip Bystedt, Quentin Musty or even Ryan Lin. Even with that kind of package, the Red Wings still might not be tempted enough to move a 23-year-old defenseman who already looks like a legitimate first-pairing player.
Cap space is another hurdle. The Sharks could put Logan Couture on long-term injured reserve and sign Edvinsson to a deal with an average annual value around $10 million, but that would leave them tight on room.
If they want flexibility for later moves during the season, they’d probably need to clear more money. Barclay Goodrow seems unlikely to be the piece moved, given how much Ryan Warsofsky and Mike Grier like him, but Adam Gaudette or Ty Dellandrea could be part of a deal to open some breathing room.
On top of that, San Jose would likely need to send draft capital as well.
Edvinsson would improve the Sharks now and down the road. The problem is that getting him would mean sacrificing major assets and operating in a cap squeeze that depends heavily on the salary cap rising as expected. For now, it’s a situation that’s hard to fully map out - which is why the only thing left is to wait and see what Mike Grier thinks.
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