DETROIT — The Red Wings are still trying to get Simon Edvinsson under contract, and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff made clear Wednesday that moving the 23-year-old defenseman is not part of Detroit’s plan.
“I have zero interest in trading Simon Edvinsson,” Horcoff said. “I want to keep him.”
Edvinsson remains a restricted free agent after arriving at training camp without a deal. He practiced with the club but did not take part in scrimmages or preseason games before returning to Sweden. Reports indicated he favored a change of scenery, though he has since come back to North America.
Detroit has stayed in touch throughout the process. Horcoff said he has talked with Edvinsson several times and remains in regular communication with the defenseman’s representatives. The club is willing to consider different contract structures, while keeping negotiations private.
“When you’re trying to sign a player, you have to be open-minded to kind of all options,” Horcoff said. “We certainly are.”
Edvinsson remains central to Detroit’s blue line
The 6-foot-6, 222-pound Edvinsson was Detroit’s sixth overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft and has developed into one of the organization’s major building blocks. He has recorded 19 goals and 41 assists in 175 NHL games, including nine goals and 16 assists over 72 appearances last season.
His 22:21 average ice time last season trailed only Moritz Seider’s 25:40 among Red Wings skaters. Horcoff pointed to that role, and to the organization’s investment in Edvinsson’s development, in explaining why Detroit wants a deal rather than a trade.
“He’s a big part of our future,” Horcoff said. “We’ve spent a lot of time with Simon developing him, and I think he’s a big part of our core here moving forward. I’m going to continue to try to get him signed and add him back into the lineup.”
The message was firmer still when Horcoff addressed the possibility of a deal elsewhere: it is not something Detroit is considering.
Larkin’s trade request remains unresolved
Horcoff described the situation with Dylan Larkin as unchanged. The 30-year-old center requested a trade after last season and supplied Detroit with a limited list of destinations where he would waive his no-trade protection. Horcoff did not expand on the talks, citing respect for Larkin and his representatives.
Larkin entered this season without the captaincy and also had to work back from a back injury suffered during offseason training. He reported to camp but could not fully participate at the outset, then missed the entire preseason along with Detroit’s first two regular-season games.
The home crowd’s response has shifted during the opening stretch. Larkin was booed during introductions at the Oct. 2 home opener. When he made his season debut Oct. 6 against Ottawa, the initial boos gave way to cheers after he produced a goal and an assist in a 5-3 Red Wings victory, though the reaction was mixed when he was announced as the game’s first star.
He did not hear boos in Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey, despite being held off the scoresheet for a third straight game.
Horcoff said the injury complicated an already difficult moment for Larkin, but credited the veteran for returning ready to compete. Larkin ranks 10th in franchise history with 645 points, made up of 277 goals and 368 assists, across 812 games. Last season, he put up 34 goals and 33 assists in 74 contests.
He is in the third season of the eight-year, $69.6 million contract he signed with Detroit on March 1, 2023, carrying an $8.7 million annual cap hit.
“It’s going to take some time,” Horcoff said of Larkin’s return to form. “He’s working back through that. I think it’s only going to get easier for him as things go on here and he starts to find his game and his legs a little bit more.”
Horcoff said Larkin has management’s backing, along with support from teammates and the coaching staff. He also believes the crowd has begun to recognize the effort behind the center’s return, even as the larger uncertainty around his future remains.
