There’s so much drama in Detroit that Red Wings games should be broadcast on Bravo.
The latest involves unsigned defenceman Simon Edvinsson, who “prefers a trade from the Red Wings,” as reported last weekend by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who added that the Red Wings “have made it clear to other teams that their priority is still to sign him.”
Friedman previously reported that Detroit’s preference is to sign Edvinsson to a bridge contract but said on Monday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that the Red Wings have “moved off” that position.
“He remains a priority,” Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff told reporters last week. “We’re doing everything (we) can, working closely with the agents. He’s a big part of our club, and we’d like to get him signed. But the details of the negotiation, we’ll keep private between us, out of respect for Simon and his group, and we can comment on all of that when it’s all said and done.”
What Edvinsson brings to the table
From afar, it’s odd that the Red Wings are playing hardball with Edvinsson, who at 23 has already shown that he can handle big minutes and tough defensive matchups. (Not to mention that he is six-foot-six and 222 pounds.)
Edvinsson and Moritz Seider were on the ice together for nearly 1,100 minutes at five-on-five last season and helped Detroit generate 52.6 per cent of the expected goals (xGF%). The Red Wings also won those hard minutes on the scoreboard 50-38. When both Edvinsson and Seider were off the ice, the Red Wings’ xGF% dropped to 44.2 per cent, and opponents outscored them 95-67.
Without Edvinsson, Seider has started the season with Albert Johansson as his partner; Detroit has a 40.6 xGF% at five-on-five, albeit in a small sample.
Individually, Edvinsson profiled as one of the NHL’s best young defenders last season, ranking highly in several important categories. He finished inside the top 50 among roughly 200 qualified defencemen (minimum 40 games played) in puck-battle wins, defensive plays (blocked shots, blocked passes, stick checks and body checks) and defensive-zone denials per game.
Edvinsson has not put up big numbers offensively in his short career, but there is reason to believe that he has more to offer in that area. His 18.7 possession-driving plays per game, which include controlled exits and entries, ranked 51st on defence last season.
“I feel like I’ve grown into my body a lot more, I’m a little bit heavier, and I feel like I’ve got more control now over the movements,” Edvinsson, who averaged 0.37 points per game over the previous two seasons, told reporters during training camp. “I feel like that can make me a better threat on the offensive blue line, and I feel like that can make me a better threat to come out of (my) own zone as well.”
What will it take to end the contract stalemate?
Edvinsson’s combination of youth, defensive acumen and tantalizing size is difficult to find. That is why the Red Wings would be wise not to alienate Edvinsson any further and sign him to a fair deal.
Zeev Buium’s eight-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks ($9.38-million cap hit) and Tristan Luneau’s six-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks ($7.2 million) provide a road map for Detroit in negotiations. AFP Analytics projects an $8.8-million cap hit on a seven-year deal for Edvinsson, who would overtake Seider ($8.55 million) as the Red Wings’ highest-paid defenceman.
For one night, at least, the vibes around the Red Wings were not completely toxic Tuesday. Ex-captain Dylan Larkin scored in his season debut, eliciting cheers from the hostile home crowd as Detroit defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Larkin and Edvinsson’s situations, however, continue to hang over the team.
“We have some hurdles in front of us that we’re going to have to continue to cross and to deal with, but it’s probably appropriate that we’re (speaking) inside the locker room because the group in here has come to play hockey,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan told reporters last week. “They’ve focused on the things that they need to do to get themselves ready. The outside noise through the summer and everything else that’s gone on, they’ve done a good job focusing on what they can control, and that’s the hockey part of it.”
