Red Wings reportedly closing in on Simon Edvinsson decision after major offer sheet development
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Detroit is reportedly closing in on a Simon Edvinsson deal once a new GM is hired, with no offer sheet threat left on the table.
Simon Edvinsson's long stalled contract talks with the Detroit Red Wings might not stay stalled much longer.
According to Michigan radio voice Ansar Khan, the defenseman's camp and the Red Wings are expected to get a new deal done fairly quickly once Detroit hires its next general manager.
Khan said on Oilers Now that it's become clear no rival club is going to test Edvinsson with an offer sheet, and from what he's been told, the Red Wings would match one anyway if it came.
That's a notable shift in tone from where things stood just a few weeks ago.
Re Simon Edvinsson/Red Wings negotiations: "I would expect that deal to get done fairly soon after a new GM is hired; it's apparent...nobody's going to make him an offer sheet; from everything I've been told...the Wings would match it."
- Ansar Khan
- Ansar Khan
NHLRR: "Earlier in the summer reports suggested teams were contemplating an offer sheet; among those teams were the Hurricanes."
Why the offer sheet threat cooled off
The 23 year old blueliner has been in limbo since his entry level deal ran out, with Detroit still searching for a permanent replacement for Steve Yzerman, who stepped down as GM earlier this offseason.
Acting GM Shawn Horcoff has kept the front office running day to day, but the biggest decisions, including Edvinsson's next contract, have reportedly been on hold until ownership settles on a long term hire.
Earlier in the summer there was real chatter around a potential offer sheet, with the Carolina Hurricanes among the teams floated as a possible suitor if they end up moving on from Alexander Nikishin.
Detroit sits on close to $18 million dollars in cap space, which always made matching any outside offer a realistic option, and that financial cushion appears to have discouraged teams from actually pulling the trigger on Edvinsson.
What comes next for Detroit
Edvinsson had 19 goals and 41 assists across 175 career games heading into this offseason, and he's coming off a season spent mostly paired with Moritz Seider on Detroit's top pairing.
Once a new GM is officially in place, locking up Edvinsson figures to be one of the very first items on the to do list, right alongside a resolution on Dylan Larkin's future.
For now, Red Wings fans will just have to keep waiting on both, though the latest word suggests that wait might not stretch much longer.
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