Simon Edvinsson said the quiet part out loud Monday night. Other clubs have called, and the Red Wings still haven't signed him.
A Sportbladet report out of Sweden had the young defenseman acknowledging interest from elsewhere, without naming anyone or going into detail.
He also made clear his commitment is to Detroit. Both things can be true at once, and that's exactly what makes this situation uncomfortable.
Detroit holds his rights. That doesn't stop a rival team from putting a contract in front of him and forcing a decision in Detroit.
Here's the leverage. The Swede is coming off 25 points in 72 games, with nine goals and two game-winners from the back end.
The number that really lands is his plus-12. Detroit was outscored 258 to 241 last season, and he still finished on the right side of it.
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Red Wings face Simon Edvinsson contract nightmare as rival teams show interest
His cap hit last season sat at $894,166. Whatever comes next won't look anything like that, and every general manager in the league knows it.
Moritz Seider is locked in at $8,550,000. That's the ceiling in this conversation, and the space between those two numbers is where the negotiation lives.
The blue line behind them isn't loaded with answers. Axel Sandin Pellikka went minus-20 in 68 games, and Ben Chiarot is 35 now.
Camp isn't opening clean either. Michael Rasmussen and Mason Appleton are both listed day to day and questionable for the start of the season.
All of this sits on a team that finished 41-31-10 for 92 points, sixteenth overall and sixth in the Atlantic.
They limped in at 2-6-2 over their last ten. The final game on the schedule was an 8-1 loss in Florida, which is not a night anyone reviews twice.
Letting a 23-year-old defenseman with that two-way profile reach mid-September unsigned is a self-inflicted problem. Nobody forced that timeline on Detroit.
Restricted free agency is like leaving your car unlocked in a quiet neighborhood. Usually nothing happens. Usually.
Edvinsson says he wants to be here. What nobody has said out loud yet is the number that actually gets him signed.
Should Detroit pay Simon Edvinsson whatever it takes to end this now?
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