The clock is doing the heavy lifting for the Red Wings now.
Detroit has a little more than two weeks to sort out Simon Edvinsson’s contract standoff before December 1 turns the situation into a season-killer. If he is not signed by then, he cannot play in the NHL this season.
And even if the Red Wings decide to move his rights, that alone would not keep him eligible. Any team that acquires him would still need to get a contract done before the cutoff.
That’s what makes this such a tricky spot for Detroit. The front office is staring at three real outcomes, and none of them is especially clean.
One path is a trade, which looks like the simplest answer if Edvinsson still does not want to come back. The Fourth Period reported on November 9 that he still preferred a move and that interim general manager Shawn Horcoff was in talks with several teams. But interest has not yet turned into a deal Detroit can live with.
Another route is a short-term contract with the Red Wings. That would get Edvinsson back on the ice and buy both sides time to figure out what comes next. For now, though, that remains only a possibility - not proof that either side has softened.
And then there’s the worst-case scenario: nobody budges, and Edvinsson sits out the NHL season entirely. Detroit could decide that taking a weak return now would do more harm than waiting. From Edvinsson’s side, holding firm would mean losing valuable NHL development time without any guarantee that a better landing spot comes later.
Among the teams in the mix, San Jose stands out the most. Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks already made a serious offer for Edvinsson, and Detroit turned it down.
That matters, because it shows the interest is real and not just exploratory. With his size, mobility and ability to play the left side, Edvinsson could fit as a major part of the Sharks’ blue line for years.
The question is whether San Jose can put together a package strong enough for Detroit without gutting the young talent it would want to build around him.
Boston is another team to keep in the conversation. The Bruins were listed by The Fourth Period as one of the interested clubs, and Edvinsson would give them a possible cornerstone on defence. The bigger issue is whether Boston can assemble the best offer.
Nashville also belongs on the board, though his training there should not be read as a sign that a deal is close. The Fourth Period said Filip Forsberg helped arrange his trainer and also identified the Predators as interested. That connection is notable, but it does not mean Nashville is his preferred destination.
St. Louis, Montreal and Seattle have also been mentioned as interested teams. That matters for Detroit, because it means the Red Wings are not staring at a deadline that automatically forces them into a bargain.
My read is that San Jose remains the strongest trade possibility because of the reported offer already on the table. Still, a late compromise with Detroit cannot be ruled out. The key question is whether one of the bidders raises its offer and whether Edvinsson is willing to accept the contract terms that come with it.
In Other News...
Sharks Hit With Travel Chaos At The Worst Possible Time
A routine travel day turned into a headache for the Sharks when their flight was caught up in a nationwide grounding tied to a communications issue affecting air traffic control. The team was delayed at the airport and eventually had to deplane, an unwelcome interruption for a club trying to keep its schedule intact as it moved on to Utah.
Flights began to resume later in the night, giving San Jose a path to continue its trip after the unexpected stop-and-start. For a team already dealing with the usual grind of the road, the timing of the disruption made it especially inconvenient, even if it now appears the Sharks will still get where they need to go. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Slow Start Has Fans Arguing One Uncomfortable Question
The Sharks rough opening month has pushed the conversation well beyond the standings and into the structure of how this team is being built. On a recent podcast, NHL video coach Steve Peters broke down the defensive-zone problems and forechecking issues that have shown up in specific goals against, while also digging into penalty-kill lapses that have made the early stretch even harder to navigate. It was the kind of film-room discussion that gives context to why the results have looked the way they have.
The broader evaluation at the quarter-season mark also turned to GM Mike Grier and head coach Ryan Warsofsky, with Dan Boyle offering thoughts on player development and the day-to-day dynamics inside the room. There is plenty of roster turnover to account for, and the coaching systems are still being sorted through, but the bigger question hanging over all of it is whether the current approach is accelerating growth fast enough for a team still searching for its footing. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Suddenly Have A New Alex Wennberg Problem
The Sharks are dealing with another Alex Wennberg setback at a time when they can least afford it. The center will miss the upcoming game against the Utah Mammoth because of an upper-body injury, the same issue that already sidelined him earlier this season, and head coach Ryan Warsofsky said the club is managing it with a busy schedule in mind.
For San Jose, the timing is frustrating because Wennberg is in the first year of his contract extension and has already appeared in 11 games this season. His absence leaves the Sharks trying to piece together their lineup again while also keeping an eye on how much they can push him before the schedule eases up. [Read more 🡒]