Red Wings' Contract Delay With Rising Star Becoming Real Risk
Edvinsson's agent, Peter Werner of CAA, confirmed to Sweden's Expressen that talks are paused entirely while the Red Wings search for a permanent general manager. "We're not speculating, we're just patiently waiting for the new general manager," Werner said.
Both Sides Say They're Aligned
Nothing about the delay suggests friction between player and team.
Detroit's vice president of hockey operations, Nicklas Lidstrom, was asked about the file and gave a similarly patient answer. "We want to keep Simon, but it's a bit quiet right now," Lidstrom said. "As you know, we're looking for a new general manager."
Bob Duff on the Full Press Hockey Podcast about Simon Edvinsson; ''Well Edvinsson's agent just recently said like he doesn't know who he's supposed to even be talking to to negotiate a contract [...]''
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) August 24, 2026
That's crazy. #NHL #LGRW pic.twitter.com/IeVdXctTUv
Werner's camp has its own reason for waiting, too, preferring not to lock in a long-term number with acting GM Shawn Horcoff that a permanent hire might have approached differently.
The Wait Is Getting Expensive
The math is working against Detroit the longer this drags on.
When The Hockey Writers first projected Edvinsson's next deal, an eight-year, $8.5 million annual value looked like fair value, just below Moritz Seider's $8.55 million cap hit.
That number no longer holds.
This offseason's RFA market has exploded, with Chicago's Bowen Byram landing six years at $12.5 million annually and both Pavel Mintyukov and Simon Nemec signing five-year deals north of $7.2 million. Many now believe Detroit would be lucky to get Edvinsson at that original $8.5 million figure, and even then, only on a shorter five-year term rather than the eight years once expected.
There's also a deadline attached. Under the new CBA, max-term eight-year contracts are only available to deals signed before September 15.
If Detroit wants to lock Edvinsson up for the full eight years rather than the reduced seven-year maximum that follows, the two sides need a permanent GM in place and a number agreed to within weeks.
I’m curious why other NHL teams haven’t pursued Simon Edvinsson via an offer sheet. Detroit is without a GM and their interim GM has limited authority for big decisions.
— Keith (@KeithKavJr) August 17, 2026
Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, Chicago, Philadelphia come to mind. pic.twitter.com/5ZPG1Ebwaz
Edvinsson was Detroit's sixth overall pick in 2021, and the 23-year-old has developed into a legitimate top-pairing piece, posting nine goals and 25 points in 72 games last season while logging over 22 minutes a night, often alongside Seider.
The two have combined for nearly 700 minutes of five-on-six ice time together, outscoring opponents 31-21 in that span. He's expressed interest in staying in Detroit long-term, and there's no indication that's changed.
The bigger problem is the calendar. Training camp is roughly a month away, and Detroit still doesn't have a GM in place to close what should be one of the easier files on its offseason to-do list, right as the price to get it done keeps climbing.
