The Maple Leafs may want Simon Edvinsson, but they’re hardly alone in the chase.
What started as another trade-rumor swirl around the disgruntled Red Wing has turned into something much louder, with Detroit now actively fielding calls and several teams trying to get involved. Toronto and Philadelphia have already been linked, and according to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, the list of interested clubs is bigger than that.
“It’s more than just listening, they're engaging now in trade conversations, not just with Philly, but I believe there are about 6 teams that Detroit is seriously having conversations with.”
That’s the kind of market that can turn a simple pursuit into an expensive bidding war. Edvinsson has reportedly been vocal about wanting to play elsewhere, and with a contract extension nowhere close, Detroit appears ready to move on if the return is right. He even left the team to train in Sweden while the contract situation gets sorted out.
The Red Wings don’t seem to have much leverage here, which means they may have to accept the best package that comes their way. Edvinsson is 23, a stay-at-home shutdown defender who plays with edge and isn’t shy about doing the dirty work. Over four seasons in Detroit, he’s put up 19 goals and 60 points in 175 games, along with 325 blocks and 217 hits.
The money piece is part of the conversation too. Reports have suggested Edvinsson is looking for a deal in the $9M AAV range, and given how contracts around the league have been handed out, that number doesn’t sound outlandish. Tristan Luneau just landed a big payday despite a limited NHL resume, and Edvinsson’s age and production make his camp’s ask easier to understand.
But if Toronto gets serious, the bigger issue isn’t the extension. It’s the price to get him out of Detroit.
The Leafs would likely have to put Ben Danford and Colorado’s 2028 first-rounder into the deal just to get into the conversation, and even then Detroit could push for more. Other names could enter the mix as well, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dakota Joshua, Brandon Duhaime, and maybe even Easton Cowan.
That’s the calculation for Toronto: Edvinsson would fill a real need, giving them another option alongside Darren Raddysh or Morgan Rielly, stepping in as a replacement for Chris Tanev, and essentially taking Danford’s place as the organization’s next young blue-line piece. The fit is clear. The cost is what makes this one tricky.
And with a handful of teams already circling, the Maple Leafs would need to come in strong if they want Detroit to take their offer seriously.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Enter A Crucial Week With Too Much Still Unsettled
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One of the more interesting threads is Easton Cowans role, because the young winger keeps getting opportunities in the mix as the staff looks for a combination that actually clicks. There is also some added pressure on the blue line after Chris Tanev left Saturdays game against Colorado with an upper-body injury, another reminder that the Leafs are still trying to stabilize multiple areas at once rather than simply fine-tune a team already in place. [Read more 🡒]
Former Leaf Suddenly Has Fans Reconsidering That Toronto Trade
Steven Lorentz is making it a little harder for Maple Leafs fans to shrug off that summer trade. The former Leaf has opened the season with the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus AHL affiliate, and his recent run has brought fresh attention to the kind of depth and energy he can still provide. For Toronto, the deal that sent him to the Blue Jackets was part of a larger reshuffling of pieces, and it already feels like the sort of move that invites second-guessing when a familiar face starts producing elsewhere.
Lorentzs early work has also raised a more immediate question for Columbus: whether he can force his way into the NHL picture sooner rather than later. His skill set has always pointed toward a role player who can help in a useful way, and a strong start only strengthens that case. For Leafs followers looking back, it is another reminder that trades are rarely judged on day one, and sometimes the lingering value comes from the player who quietly keeps making noise after the move. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin McKenna Is Forcing A Maple Leafs Power Play Debate
Gavin McKenna has started to make his mark on the Maple Leafs power play, and not just as a passenger. His recent work on the man advantage helped set up a key goal, and the young forward has stood out with the kind of speed and playmaking that can change the look of a unit in a hurry. For a club always searching for more juice with the extra skater, that kind of performance tends to get noticed quickly.
Jim Hiller said McKenna has earned the power-play time hes getting, and the way he has played has opened the door to more responsibility if he keeps producing. The bigger question, of course, is how the group will look once John Tavares is back in the mix. Toronto will have to sort out who fits where, and McKennas current run has at least made the discussion more interesting than it looked a short time ago. [Read more 🡒]