Simon Edvinsson wants a new contract with the Detroit Red Wings. The problem is, there’s currently nobody in the building with the authority to actually give him one.
Detroit has been without a permanent general manager since Steve Yzerman stepped down in mid-July, moving into a senior advisor role with owner Christopher Ilitch. Assistant GM Shawn Horcoff has taken over as interim GM in the meantime, but has been held back from making any major moves, including signing the team’s own restricted free agents to long-term deals. Edvinsson himself is a restricted free agent, coming off the entry-level contract he signed with Detroit back in 2022.
Simon Edvinsson’s contract
That’s left Edvinsson’s camp in a holding pattern. His agent, Peter Werner of CAA, indicated in an interview with Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom that contract talks were on hold until a permanent GM is found. Edvinsson confirmed the same thing himself in comments to Swedish Aftonbladet.
“It’s been a bit messy because we haven’t had anyone to talk to about the contract,” Edvinsson said. “It would have been nice if a GM or a president came in soon so we could start having some negotiations.”
”I’ve never seen anyone been in this situation before, when there’s not even someone to talk to, this close to the season starting. What am I suppose to do?”
”I love Detroit
Despite the uncertainty, Edvinsson made clear he isn’t going anywhere and still plans to report to training camp regardless of his contract status.
“I love Detroit, and I love the fans,” Edvinsson told Aftonbladet. “Detroit is the place closest to my heart, absolutely. I love everything here. Now you want to have a talk with whoever becomes GM and see what will happen.”
He’s even taken out extra insurance to cover himself while playing without a deal in place. “If something happens that you don’t want, you have to take responsibility for it yourself. I’ve increased my insurance a little bit extra now. But you’re driving, and things can happen all the time, so I don’t really think in those terms,” Edvinsson said, per Aftonbladet.
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The timing carries real stakes beyond just the GM search. The NHL’s new collective bargaining agreement takes effect September 16, reducing the maximum contract term for a re-signing player from eight years to seven. That gives Detroit until September 15 if it wants to preserve the option of locking Edvinsson up long-term. His market value may have also just gone up — the Vancouver Canucks recently signed defenseman Zeev Buium to an eight-year, $75.04 million extension, setting a fresh comparison point for any deal Edvinsson eventually signs.
Edvinsson finished last season with 9 goals and 25 points in 72 games while averaging 22:21 of ice time, cementing himself as one of the cornerstone pieces of Detroit’s young blue line alongside Moritz Seider. Training camp is scheduled for September 17-20 at the BELFOR Training Center, and as things stand, Edvinsson will be there — new contract or not.
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