Red Wings Held Serious Trade Talks With Sharks About Simon Edvinsson

Detroit’s discussions about Simon Edvinsson have reached the point of serious trade conversations with San Jose, according to Elliotte Friedman. The Red Wings still say they want to sign and keep the restricted free agent defenseman, but they’ve also explored what a deal could bring back: a young center, potentially the other club’s top available prospect at the position.

Friedman shared the details on NHL Network after Brian Boyle asked whether there had been movement in Edvinsson’s situation. He said Detroit had taken calls and spoken with teams around the league. Among the clubs he identified as having looked closely were the Sharks, Seattle, Nashville and Boston, though Friedman said he had heard Boston’s interest might have cooled lately.

The San Jose talks stood out. Friedman said Detroit and the Sharks had spoken “pretty seriously” about Edvinsson and described San Jose as a strong fit. He also indicated that the Red Wings had been serious in discussing the young center they would want in return. He didn’t identify a player, and no trade had been completed when he spoke.

Detroit’s asking price centers on youth

Friedman said Detroit’s conversations with multiple teams had included questions about young centers, whether they were already playing in the NHL or still developing outside it. His description was specific in one important way: the Red Wings were looking for a club’s leading young center prospect who might be available.

That gives the talks a clear shape, but not a confirmed package. The report doesn’t say San Jose offered a particular player, that the Sharks agreed to Detroit’s terms, or that either side had settled on a deal structure. Naming a potential target would go beyond what Friedman reported. The known point is that Detroit was seeking a significant young center as the return for a defenseman it has said it wants to retain.

For San Jose, the fit Friedman sees is tied to adding Edvinsson to its defense group. The Sharks were one of the teams he said had examined the situation intently, and the reported conversations suggest they considered what it might take to acquire him. Whether San Jose would part with a top young center prospect remains unanswered.

Edvinsson can speak with other teams

Edvinsson’s restricted free agent status allows him and his agent, J.P. Barry, to speak with other clubs while he remains unsigned, Friedman explained. That creates room for teams to assess interest and discuss possibilities even as Detroit says it would prefer to keep the defenseman. In this case, those conversations have included both a possible contract path and the possibility of a trade.

Detroit’s public position and its calls to other clubs can coexist: the Red Wings can still hope to reach an agreement while evaluating what another team might offer. For now, the talks don’t establish that a trade is imminent. They do show that the club has explored the market and that a young center is central to the return it has discussed.

Friedman’s report also puts a deadline on the uncertainty. He said Detroit’s general manager, Mike Horcoff, had indicated the club could wait until Dec. 1 if necessary. If Edvinsson remained unsigned by that date, he wouldn’t be able to play that season. Friedman characterized the situation as a bit of poker, with the deadline adding pressure to a process that had not produced a resolution.

A decision still has to come

The immediate question is whether Detroit can sign Edvinsson before the deadline or whether discussions with another club produce a return the Red Wings are willing to accept. San Jose is the clearest example in Friedman’s account of a team involved in serious conversations, but Seattle, Nashville and Boston were also mentioned as clubs that had spoken with Detroit. The report offered no contract terms, trade pieces or timetable for a deal.

That leaves both sides with meaningful choices. Detroit has said it wants to keep Edvinsson, while its discussions indicate it is considering alternatives. San Jose would need to decide whether acquiring him fits its plans and what young center it might be willing to discuss. Until an agreement is reached, the key takeaway is the reported level of dialogue: the Sharks and Red Wings have talked seriously, but Edvinsson’s future remains unsettled.

Source: NHL Network. Related coverage: Lightning and Ducks report and Quinn Hughes report.