Simon Edvinsson and Red Wings Held Weekend Meeting Amid Contract Standoff

The Simon Edvinsson saga in Detroit took a step forward over the weekend, even if a resolution remains elusive. Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s “Insider Trading” that Edvinsson and his agent, J.P. Barry, met face-to-face with Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff, with the sides finally sitting down together to lay their cards on the table. Edvinsson has also returned to North America, a development noted earlier by TSN’s Chris Johnston, though that move is tied to his training arrangements rather than any contract breakthrough.

The meeting is the clearest sign of momentum in a standoff that has dragged into the regular season. Edvinsson, the sixth overall pick in 2021 and a cornerstone of Detroit’s young core, remains a restricted free agent despite the 2026-27 campaign already being underway, and he faces a December 1 deadline to sign with an NHL team if he wants to play this season.

Horcoff has been unequivocal about his position, telling reporters on October 14 that he has “zero interest” in trading the 23-year-old and that a deal is not something Detroit is entertaining. The situation is more complicated than that, however. Elliotte Friedman has reported that Edvinsson would prefer a trade, and at least 10 teams, Boston among them, have called to gauge Detroit’s asking price, only to be told the Red Wings would rather re-sign him.

Money appears to be the central sticking point. Detroit handed star winger Alex DeBrincat a seven-year, $91 million extension ($13 million AAV) on October 13, a move that underscored the organization’s intent to keep its core intact but also reset its internal market. Edvinsson is believed to be seeking a significant raise that could climb beyond $10 million per season, and to this point the two sides’ numbers reportedly haven’t been close.

With the calendar working against both parties, the weekend’s sit-down at least signals a willingness to find common ground. Whether it produces an extension, a trade, or a continued stalemate remains to be seen.