Simon Edvinsson’s unresolved contract with the Detroit Red Wings may have looked considerably different earlier this summer.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast that a shorter-term agreement was a possibility for Edvinsson before another young defenseman reset the market. According to , the eight-year extension Zeev Buium signed with Vancouver changed the calculus surrounding Edvinsson’s negotiations.
That adds another layer to a contract situation already complicated by Detroit’s prolonged search for a new general manager. Edvinsson’s representatives have been waiting for that process to conclude before advancing talks, although the defenseman even if a deal is not completed.
Friedman did not report the length or financial terms Detroit had discussed on a possible shorter agreement.
Buium Changed the Market for Edvinsson
Vancouver signed Buium to an carrying a $9.38 million average annual value. Buium is only 20 and has played 76 NHL games, making the contract an aggressive bet on what Vancouver believes he will become.For Edvinsson’s camp, it provided a valuable new comparison.
The 23-year-old is already established in Detroit’s top four and finished last season with nine goals and 25 points in 72 games while averaging more than 22 minutes per night. The Buium deal does not automatically mean Edvinsson should command the same salary, but it gave his representatives fresh evidence of what teams are willing to pay young defensemen with top-pair potential.
That possibility was before Friedman’s latest information revealed that Detroit may once have had a shorter path available.
Detroit Is Running Out of Eight-Year Options
There is another reason the timing matters.The NHL’s . Once it does, the maximum contract for a player re-signing with his current club drops from eight years to seven.
Detroit therefore has only days remaining if an eight-year agreement with Edvinsson is still under consideration.
A shorter bridge-style contract could still make sense if the sides cannot agree on long-term value. It would also carry risk for the Red Wings. Edvinsson is entering his prime years, his role is already substantial, and continued development could make his next negotiation considerably more expensive.
Friedman’s update helps explain why a negotiation that once might have had a simpler short-term solution remains unsettled.
Buium changed the market. Detroit still has no permanent general manager. And the Red Wings now have very little time left to decide whether locking up Edvinsson for eight years is worth the price.
