Red Wings Would Be Foolish to Trade Simon Edvinsson

It’s a do-or-die game, and the Detroit Red Wings are nursing a lead late in the contest. Moritz Seider jumps over the boards to close it out.

Who goes with him?

Normally, you’d see Simon Edvinsson line up alongside Seider, but he’s still without a new contract two weeks into the season. Instead, the choice comes down to Ben Chiarot or Albert Johansson.

Inspire much confidence? Certainly not as much as Edvinsson would.

Earlier this month, Elliotte Friedman reported that Edvinsson would “prefer” a trade after contract negotiations failed to produce a viable deal. This comes after the 23-year-old attended training camp as a gesture of goodwill.

Detroit’s preference, of course, is to sign Edvinsson, and they’ve reportedly backed off the initial stance of only offering short-term bridge deals and are open to longer-term options. Salary appears to be the biggest sticking point at this juncture.

Teams have called to inquire about Edvinsson’s availability and the Red Wings have done their due diligence. But again, the goal is to get him under contract.

That doesn’t stop speculation, though. And there have been plenty of trade proposals thrown around – both inside and outside Detroit’s sphere.

Let me make something clear: Detroit would be foolish to trade Edvinsson. Here’s why.

Trading Edvinsson Would Undermine Detroit’s Long-Term Roster Construction

Edvinsson is not a prospect who might eventually become a top-pairing defenseman. He already is that. 

Towering over opponents at 6-foot-6, Edvinsson is a mobile defender who can handle difficult assignments and complement Seider. He also has considerable room to improve further based on NHL age curves. In addition, the Red Wings don’t have anyone in the system who possesses Edvinsson’s combination of size, mobility, and top-pairing potential.

That makes him a critical building block as Detroit attempts to transition from rebuilding into playoff contention. A Seider-Edvinsson pairing could anchor the blue line for years, allowing the coaching staff to deploy the rest of its defensemen in more suitable roles. Without Edvinsson, Detroit would have to redistribute those responsibilities or find a replacement through a trade or free agency. 

Neither option is simple. The team would lose a proven young defenseman while creating another significant roster need, potentially sacrificing assets and valuable salary-cap space in the process.

There are also consequences beyond the lineup. Trading Edvinsson because the sides cannot agree on his market value could send the wrong message to Detroit’s current players and future free agents. 

Contract negotiations are a normal part of roster construction, and the organization should not blindly meet every demand. Financial discipline matters, especially when building a contender. However, the Red Wings must also demonstrate a willingness to invest in the players they draft and develop. If a difficult negotiation ends with a trade, players could question whether Detroit is the right place to maximize both their careers and earning potential – even after Alex DeBrincat signed a seven-year, $91 million deal.

The financial logic of a trade is equally questionable. If Detroit acquires a comparable young defenseman, it would be exchanging Edvinsson’s established NHL experience for another player who still needs to prove himself. With the salary cap rising, that replacement could also command a significant contract, potentially costing the Red Wings more than what Edvinsson could be signed for without providing a meaningful upgrade. 

Trading Edvinsson for draft picks is even less appealing. Draft selections carry considerable uncertainty, and Detroit would essentially be hoping those picks eventually produce a defenseman with Edvinsson’s ceiling. Why take that gamble when the organization already has him?

Unless a trade brings back a clearly superior asset or addresses an even greater organizational need, moving Edvinsson would be difficult to justify. Resolving a contract dispute is not, by itself, a compelling reason to weaken a position that is already difficult to fill.

Final Word

Fortunately for Red Wings fans, Shawn Horcoff agrees. “I have zero interest in trading Simon Edvinsson,” noted Detroit’s GM on Wednesday.

In fact, the only plausible scenario where trading Edvinsson makes sense is if a top-line building block comes back – i.e. San Jose’s Michael Misa. Otherwise, proposals to trade the blueliner should be rejected out of pocket.

Edvinsson is precisely the kind of player the Red Wings should prioritize retaining. He fills a critical organizational need, complements Seider, and has the potential to remain a fixture on Detroit’s blue line for years. Replacing that combination would be difficult, expensive, and far from guaranteed.

This is exactly why the Red Wings need to find common ground on a new contract now. Edvinsson is that valuable of a player and most certainly not a trade chip.