Detroit insider Bob Duff reveals where Alex DeBrincat stands on his Red Wings future
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bob Duff says Alex DeBrincat wants to stay in Detroit, pointing to Michigan roots and family ties as he heads into a contract year.
Detroit Red Wings fans have had a lot to process this summer, and not much of it has been good news.
Patrick Kane left for Chicago, Steve Yzerman was pushed out of the general manager chair, and Dylan Larkin reportedly asked for a trade.
Amid all that turnover, one name keeps popping up in a much more reassuring light, and that name is Alex DeBrincat.
Longtime Red Wings reporter Bob Duff appeared on NHL Tonight this week and offered some clarity on where DeBrincat stands.
According to Duff, he spoke with DeBrincat at the end of last season, and the winger made his intentions known.
He wants to be in Detroit. He grew up in Michigan.
And he likes having his family close by as he keeps building his career.
Re Alex DeBrincat future/Red Wings: "From talking to Alex at the end of the season, he wants to be here, he's from Michigan...he likes having his family close."
- Bob Duff
- Bob Duff
A career year raises the stakes
That timing matters. DeBrincat just wrapped up the best season of his career, tying his personal best with 41 goals while setting new marks with 44 assists and 85 points.
He is entering the final year of his current $7.875 million deal, which means his next contract is going to look a whole lot different once the negotiations start.
Why the timing matters for Detroit
With so much roster uncertainty already swirling around Hockeytown, locking down a homegrown scorer who has made it clear he wants to stay would go a long way toward stabilizing things.
The ball is really in Detroit's court now to make sure the money matches the sentiment.
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