The Blues know exactly what a Simon Edvinsson trade would give them: a major lift on the left side of the blue line. They also know what it could cost, and that’s where the real danger lives.
Edvinsson has already shown he can handle serious NHL minutes. The 6-foot-6 Detroit defenseman played next to Moritz Seider and averaged 22:21 per game last season, finishing with nine goals and 25 points in 72 games. Only one of those points came on the power play, which says plenty about how much of his work came in the run of play.
He is still unsigned as a restricted free agent, with a Dec. 1 deadline hanging over the situation. On Tuesday’s The FAN Hockey Show, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman said he believes Detroit is starting to look around. It remains unclear whether that comes from Dylan Larkin, Edvinsson, or both, but the Red Wings could be moving sooner rather than later even after publicly saying they prefer to re-sign the defenseman.
For St. Louis, the attraction is obvious.
Edvinsson’s size, mobility and ability to absorb heavy even-strength minutes fit the kind of defender the Blues have been chasing since their retool began. Put him with Philip Broberg and suddenly the left side has two young Swedish defenders who can move the puck and defend.
On the right, the Blues already have Colton Parayko and Logan Mailloux, with prospect Adam Jiricek developing well. Add Edvinsson to that group, and the Blues would have one of the league’s strongest top-four units.
That’s what makes this such a tempting idea. It also explains why it would not come cheap.
The most obvious hurdle is the center position. Friedman said Detroit has been seeking a young center with upside, and Dalibor Dvorsky is the name that jumps out first.
He scored 12 goals as a rookie and has shown flashes again this season, even with his ice time bouncing around. If the Blues sent him out in a package for Edvinsson, they would be creating a hole behind Robert Thomas and Mason McTavish that doesn’t have an easy internal fix.
Tynan Lawrence is another part of the equation, but his timeline is still hazy. The Blues’ 11th overall pick in June is off to a strong start at Boston University and leads the team in points, but there is no clear answer yet on when he might turn pro.
Behind Dvorsky, the picture gets murky fast. St.
Louis has center prospects and winger depth, but not a sure-fire answer for a reliable third-line center right now.
That’s the heart of the gamble. The Blues would be betting that Edvinsson’s defensive upgrade matters more than the immediate loss of Dvorsky, and that Jim Montgomery and the staff can patch the center depth as they go.
There is also a bigger question around Dvorsky himself. The organization still seems to be weighing whether his best NHL fit is even down the middle.
If the Blues already see him more as a winger, the decision becomes easier to swallow. If they still believe he can settle in as a solid No. 2 or No. 3 center, then the risk climbs.
Either way, Edvinsson is the more established NHL player and the more impactful left-side fit. If St.
Louis believes it can also include Theo Lindstein in the deal, the appeal grows even more. The question is how much faith the Blues have in Dvorsky’s future at center, and whether the two sides can get to an agreement before Detroit’s Dec. 1 deadline.
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