On Thursday, new reports came out from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on a new episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts. The NHL insider touched on many topics around the league, including the Detroit Red Wings and their contract situation with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson.
Friedman started off by explaining that the situation is certainly unique, with Detroit currently without a general manager. But he noted that when it comes to new deals shaping the market for defensemen, it isn’t just Cale Makar’s massive eight-year, $163.2 million extension making waves.
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The eight-year, $75.04 million extension recently signed by 20-year-old Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, carrying a $9.38 million annual cap hit, is also worth watching closely.
Friedman explained that Buium’s contract could play a role in shaping negotiations for young defensemen like Edvinsson, and could see the former sixth-overall pick land a bigger deal than expected at the start of the summer.
Buium has just 76 career NHL games and 26 points on his resume, numbers that stack up closely against Edvinsson’s 25 points in 72 games last season, giving Edvinsson’s camp a fresh comparison point to lean on in negotiations, even with Detroit still searching for its next GM.
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Reports have suggested that Edvinsson has remained committed to the Red Wings and has been waiting for the club’s GM search to play out, with no interest in creating any drama. He’s expected to join the Red Wings at training camp regardless of where those talks stand.
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Edvinsson is coming off his second straight 25-plus point season and took on a bigger role a year ago, playing over 22 minutes a night and finishing at plus-12 on the season, matching his rating from his rookie campaign.
Missing ten games due to injury likely cost him a shot at reaching the 30-point mark for a second straight season, but there’s no denying Edvinsson has flashed real upside at a young age, and the Red Wings would love to get a new deal worked out.
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