Simon Edvinsson’s Frustration Is Boiling Over as Detroit Fumbles His Contract

The Detroit Red Wings and Simon Edvinsson are stuck in one of the most baffling stalemates of the offseason. The player wants to sign. The team desperately needs talent. On paper, this should be one of the easiest negotiations in the league.

Instead, it’s become a slow‑burn mess.

Detroit went weeks without a general manager, leaving Edvinsson’s camp waiting for someone — anyone — with authority to pick up the phone. Shawn Horcoff is finally in place, but the organization is still juggling the Dylan Larkin trade request, a fractured leadership group, and a roster that looks increasingly unsettled. Locking up one of their best young defensemen should be near the top of the priority list. Somehow, it hasn’t been.

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Bad Blood Brewing

Edvinsson’s frustration is no longer subtle. He recently returned to Sweden and is skating with Frölunda to stay in shape — a move that’s never a good sign when the season is around the corner. Detroit starts later than most teams, so there’s still time to salvage this, but the optics are brutal.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period summed up the tension on DFO Insider:

“We’re getting to the point where player frustration is starting to boil over. I don’t think there’s been a formal trade request, but there’s been a few jabs tossed back and forth.”

Jeff Marek added fuel to the fire, openly wondering whether an offer sheet could be in play:

“I do wonder whether it’s the Hurricanes that are looking at this situation… maybe Boston.”

When insiders start floating offer‑sheet scenarios, you know the relationship has hit a weird place.

Offer Sheet Potential

Edvinsson has been eligible for an offer sheet all summer, yet none have materialized. Given the chaos in Detroit, it’s surprising. He’s a 6’6″, 223‑pound left‑shot defender who finally started to look like the player Detroit hoped he’d become.

Last season, he posted nine goals and 25 points in 72 games, finished +12 on a bad team, and showed real growth in his defensive game. He’s not a punishing hitter, but he’s a massive, suffocating presence with a long reach and strong stick. He’s exactly the type of player teams should be circling.

And they might be now.

Carolina, for example, is trying to move on from Alexander Nikishin. Edvinsson would fit their system perfectly, even with their already deep blue line. A year ago, he was adamant he wanted to stay in Detroit. Today? That feels less certain.

What Does It All Mean

Detroit has been in chaos all summer. They moved Steve Yzerman into a senior advisor role, are dealing with Larkin’s trade request, and operated without a GM until recently. Candidates dropped out — including executives from Major League Baseball, which is not exactly standard NHL hiring practice — and the organization drifted.

Now the season starts Friday, October 2nd, and the Red Wings are staring at a potential opening night without Edvinsson and with a disgruntled Larkin. They even stripped Larkin of the captaincy this summer, adding yet another layer of dysfunction.

This is not how you set the tone for a new era.

Edvinsson likely still signs. That’s been the expectation all along. But every day that passes, every jab through the media, every skate in Sweden, makes the situation feel a little less stable — and a little more like Detroit is losing control of one of its most important young players.

Next: Soft Schedule, Hard Reality: Oilers Enter Season Banged Up and Under Pressure