Simon Edvinsson has seen four different contract offers from the Red Wings, and according to Darren Dreger the money still isn't there.
The Detroit defenseman is listed on injured reserve for a contract dispute, out indefinitely, and hasn't played a game this season. Meanwhile the Red Wings beat Chicago 4-1 last night without him.
That's the awkward part. Detroit is winning, and Edvinsson is a bystander.
Dreger reports the offers have run one year, two years, five years and seven years. That's a full menu of lengths, and none of it has closed the gap.
When a team offers everything from a bridge to the longest deal the CBA allows, the problem isn't term. It's the number, and that usually ends one way.
Here's how the post from NHL Rumour Report lays out Dreger's report on the length of the offers and the missing money.
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The market already has opinions. Rival teams have called Detroit's asking price for Simon Edvinsson unrealistic, per our earlier report.
Which contenders could actually fit Edvinsson?
Start with Edmonton. The Oilers are 9-2-2, third in the NHL, and perfect on the road at 5-0-0 under Mike Babcock. They also have 43 goals against in 13 games.
A 6'6 defenseman who went sixth overall in 2021 would be a luxury and a statement from GM Stan Bowman. Edmonton plays at the Islanders on Saturday.
Dallas is the other name that jumps off the sheet. The Stars lost 5-2 to Montreal last night, their second straight defeat, and Miro Heiskanen logged 29:47 while finishing a -2.
Edvinsson's numbers explain the interest. Over his NHL career he has 175 games, 19 goals and 41 assists for 60 points, with a +17 rating.
Jim Nill's Stars sit 17th overall at 7-5-1. If Glen Gulutzan's group wants to fix a leaky night, a young right-sized blueliner is one way to do it.
The Devils and Rangers belong in this conversation too. Both are the kind of Eastern clubs that can't ignore a 23-year-old defender who once went top six in the draft.
But the cost is the story. Detroit's price has been called unrealistic, and a mock package floated earlier this week had three players and two firsts for Edvinsson going to Montreal.
Here's the editorial take. Holding a sixth overall pick out of the lineup over money, while the team sits 19th in the league, is a bad look for Detroit. Every game he misses lowers his value.
Detroit hosts St. Louis on Saturday. The question is whether Shawn Horcoff keeps waiting on a deal or lets the trade market set the number instead.
Should the Red Wings trade Simon Edvinsson instead of paying his price?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Flyers open to taking on Yakov Trenin's contract to help Wild-Red Wings deal, per Daily Faceoff
