Simon Edvinsson showed up to Detroit Red Wings training camp without a contract. He still does not have a signed deal with two days until Detroit opens the regular season against the New York Rangers on Friday, Oct. 2.
The saga got worse Wednesday, when @Johnssonen reported on X that Edvinsson is back in Sweden training with Frolunda HC. Daily Faceoff confirmed that the restricted free agent practiced with his former club with talks stalled. This is not a good look for the Red Wings. It appears as if the 23-year-old is not going to start the season with Detroit.
Why Simon Edvinsson Is Still Unsigned
The 6-foot-6 defenseman, taken sixth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, was reported to be waiting on Detroit to settle its front office before negotiations went any further. Steve Yzerman resigned as general manager on July 15, and the Red Wings did not name Shawn Horcoff interim general manager until Sept. 15. The front office has had a busy few days on another front, too: captain Dylan Larkin is the subject of his own trade speculation.
Jim Costa of 97.1 the Ticket Comments on the Simon Edvinsson Disaster with the Red Wings
Jim Costa of 97.1 the Ticket commented on X about the disaster between the Red Wings and Edvinsson. He said,
โSimon Edvinsson is in Sweden. A disaster
He was a good solider. Didnโt take any offer sheets, showed up to camp without a contract and negotiated in good faith
This was the layup. Heโs an RFA. A good player that ACTUALLY wanted to be hereโ
What Detroit Loses Without Him
With him still being a restricted free agent, it remains to be seen how long he will remain unsigned. During 72 games in the 2025-26 NHL season with Detroit, he scored nine goals and recorded 16 assists, along with a plus/minus rating of 12, and he averaged 22:21 of ice time a night. With Edvinsson not here and back in Sweden, this is a major disaster for this franchise, and it appears this contract saga will not be ending anytime soon.
