Simon Edvinsson wants trade while Red Wings insist on signing him

Simon Edvinsson would prefer to be traded by the Detroit Red Wings, insider Elliotte Friedman reported during Saturday Night Hockey, putting fresh spotlight on the stalemate between the club and one of its key young defencemen.

According to Friedman, neither Edvinsson’s agent nor the Red Wings have publicly addressed the report. The 23-year-old blue-liner remains unsigned as a restricted free agent, with his status unresolved one day after Detroit opened its season with a loss to the New York Rangers.

Unsigned RFA in Sweden as season gets underway

Edvinsson was recently seen skating in his native Sweden on Wednesday, working out on the ice while his NHL teammates began their schedule in North America. The six-foot-six, left-shot defenceman was drafted sixth overall by Detroit in 2021 and is widely viewed as a central piece of the club’s future on the back end.

In his second full NHL season in 2025-26, Edvinsson produced 25 points, including nine goals and 16 assists, signalling his growing offensive impact from the blue line. Despite the apparent desire from the player’s camp to explore a move, Friedman noted that Detroit has continued to tell other teams its focus is to sign Edvinsson rather than move him in a trade.

Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff addressed the situation on Friday, saying Edvinsson "remains a priority" for the organization. Horcoff added that management is working closely with his representatives on a deal, but stressed that negotiations will stay private out of respect for the defenceman and his camp.

Larkin saga and long playoff drought frame tension in Detroit

The Edvinsson standoff unfolds as the Red Wings navigate another high-profile situation involving former captain Dylan Larkin. Fans at Detroit’s home opener on Friday booed Larkin in response to his off-season trade request, underscoring the tension around the club’s core.

Larkin was stripped of the captaincy after asking out and did not play against the Rangers because of an upper-body injury suffered while training in the summer. His future, like Edvinsson’s, remains a major question mark as the season begins.

Compounding the pressure is Detroit’s decade-long absence from the playoffs, the longest active drought in the NHL. How the Red Wings resolve Edvinsson’s contract, and whether Larkin’s situation leads to further change, could shape the direction of the franchise in the near term.