.jpg?w=2560 "Simon Edvisson Landing Spots")
5 Landing Spots for Simon Edvinsson After Reported Trade Request from Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings' offseason of drama has taken another turn as the team struggles to get restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson to re-sign.
Edvinsson is one of two unsigned restricted free agents in the NHL (joining Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin), and word surfaced on Saturday that he might prefer a trade over re-signing with the Red Wings.
The whole situation just adds to the messiness of the Red Wings offseason, which has also included a trade request from center Dylan Larkin, his being stripped of his captaincy, the team not having a full-time general manager, and an inability to re-sign Edvinsson.
What makes the Edvinsson situation so much more frustrating is that they have the salary cap space to sign him, while he clearly wanted to be there after showing up at training camp, even without a new deal.
Now he is in Sweden with no deal, and according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Saturday, he would prefer a trade away from the Red Wings rather than signing a long-term deal.
Will they honor it?
Will a team come forward with an offer sheet? At this point, the Red Wings might actually prefer that because they could easily match it and end this headache.
But let's go with the idea that they will at least consider his trade request and try to identify some teams that could be a potential landing spot for his services.
What Would a Simon Edvinsson Trade Look Like?
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An easy comparison here is the New Jersey Devils' trade of defenseman Šimon Nemec to the Calgary Flames earlier this offseason, which ultimately cost the Flames two future first-round picks.
From a box score perspective, the two players are somewhat comparable in their production.
Nemec has scored 16 goals and tallied 49 points in 155 career games, while Edvinsson has scored 19 goals and tallied 60 points in 175 career games.
Edvinsson is probably the better all-around player and played a bigger role with the Red Wings this past season as part of a top-pairing alongside Moritz Seider. When Edvinsson and Seider were on the ice together during 5-on-5 play in the 2025-26 season, the Red Wings outscored opponents 51-38 and had a 55 percent expected goals share.
When neither player was on the ice, those numbers dropped to a 66-95 deficit and a 45.7 percent expected goals share.
If there is a red flag here for Edvinsson, it's that his numbers away from Seider also took a big hit. Is his strong play the result of being paired with a Norris-caliber defenseman? Or is he capable of carrying a defensive pairing and being a top-pairing player on his own merits?
That might be the big wild card.
But that was (and still is) the wild card with Nemec, and New Jersey still managed to get multiple first-round picks for him while he signed a $7.25 million-per-season contract.
Something like that, or a comparable player value, should be the starting point for the Red Wings.
So let's take a look at a few teams that could (or should) be interested.
Boston Bruins
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Trading Edvinsson within the division would be a nightmare PR move for a franchise already dealing with its share of them, but the Bruins are definitely a team that would need a player like Edvinsson.
Even though the Bruins were a playoff team a year ago, there was not much to like about their overall defensive structure. And there has not been much to like about it for the past few years.
In 2025-26 alone, the Bruins allowed 2.93 expected goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, the third-worst mark in the NHL, ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks. That is not the type of company you want to be keeping. It was not much better in 2024-25.
The only reason the Bruins were able to contend and make the playoffs a year ago was that starting goalie Jeremy Swayman put together an elite year and carried the team on his back.
A No. 1 center has been a big priority for the Bruins. But another top-pairing defenseman would also be a nice addition, especially if it is someone who could pair well with right-handed Charlie McAvoy.
Boston has four first-round picks over the next three years, including two in the 2027 NHL Draft class.
Pittsburgh Penguins
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Even though it has not been a full-scale, tear-everything-down, rebuild, the Pittsburgh Penguins are still going through a rebuild of sorts and keeping their eye on the future. General manager Kyle Dubas has repeatedly said they will be in the market for any young player who becomes available, and they have been very aggressive in exploring that market. It has worked out well at times.
Edvinsson would seem to be a natural fit.
Not only because he is still only 23 years old and fits the mold of the type of player they are interested in, but also because he would fill a major long-term position of need.
At the start of the 2026-27 season, the left side of the Penguins' defense (which is the side Edvinsson plays) consists of Sam Girard, Declan Carlile, and Trevor van Riemsdyk.
Girard is an unrestricted free agent after this season, while van Riemsdyk is 35 years old, and Carlile is still a bit of an unknown as to how good he can be long-term.
There is a need.
Especially when you look at the right side of the defense, where Erik Karlsson is an unrestricted free agent after this season (and 36 years old), and Kris Letang is 39.
They could really use a potential top-pairing defenseman who will be there for the next seven-plus seasons.
They have all of their future draft picks, including seven second-round picks over the next three years. They also have an exceptionally deep group of NHL-level forwards and some prospects that could be dangled as trade bait. One such prospect: Forward Will Horcoff, who is also the son of Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff.
If they are not already calling, they should be.
Seattle Kraken
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Seattle needs more impact players, or potential impact players.
It tried to take a big swing for Jason Robertson in the offseason, going so far as to have the trade agreed to and a $15 million-per-year contract offer, only for Robertson not to want to re-sign there.
They should keep taking swings, and Edvinsson would be a big long-term need.
Along with an underwhelming defense on paper, Seattle's best left-shot defenseman is Vince Dunn, who is also a potential unrestricted free agent after this season, leaving his future very much in doubt.
If Dunn leaves, you're going to need another top-pairing left-shot defenseman.
If you can get Dunn re-signed, you now have a Dunn-Edvinsson duo on the left side of your defense that should be a solid 1-2 punch.
Keep taking swings until you land somebody.
St. Louis Blues
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The Blues have been overhauling a lot of their roster and trying to turn over their core with younger, on-the-rise players.
It's an intriguing group.
Robert Thomas is one of the most underrated players in the NHL and is an elite playmaker at center.
Jake Neighbours, Jimmy Snuggerud, Mason McTavish and Dylan Holloway is an intriguing group of forwards that are just entering their prime years. Connor McMichael, after coming over in the Jordan Kyrou trade this offseason, is also on that list.
Philip Broberg has turned into an outstanding player at the top of their blue line.
It remains to be seen just how good this group can be, but it's an interesting team with some good players.
There are, however, still many holes, and the defense is one of them.
They have Broberg and Cam Fowler on the left side of their defense, but Fowler is 34 and probably not a great long-term option as a top-four defenseman. He's been solid in St. Louis, but they can do better in the top four.
The Blues have been linked to Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who is in the same situation as Edvinsson, so it is reasonable to conclude that they might also be interested in Edvinsson (unless they simply like Nikishin more as a player). The Blues still have all of their first-round draft picks in the coming seasons.
Toronto Maple Leafs
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Another team in the division could be a PR headache for the Red Wings, but it's a divisional team with a big need and might be willing to pay up, even if a "divisional tax" is in play.
Even after adding Darren Raddysh over the summer, the Maple Leafs' defensive overhaul should not be finished, and Edvinsson would be a good fit for what they need.
The problem comes down to compensation.
Toronto has dealt many young players, prospects, and draft picks over the years, and most recently traded away perhaps its best trade chip, forward Matthew Knies.
Would somebody like Easton Cowen be of interest to the Red Wings as a potential focal point? He is still only 21 years old and had a strong rookie season, and even though dealing Edvinsson would leave a big hole in the Red Wings' defense that would need to be filled, the forward depth needs to be filled out as well.
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