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Insiders sound the alarm on a very real new offer sheet threat!
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- Insiders sound the alarm on a very real new offer sheet threat!
Insiders sound the alarm on a very real new offer sheet threat!
The NHL offseason has already produced one seismic offer sheet, with the Philadelphia Flyers targeting Anaheim's Leo Carlsson on a jaw-dropping five-year, $90 million deal earlier this month. But the ripple effects of that bold move may not stop there, and the Detroit Red Wings could find themselves at the center of the next offer sheet storm.
According to Jeff Marek, the possibility of another team extending an offer sheet to restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson is "very real." The sentiment has been echoed across the hockey media landscape, with the young blueliner's name increasingly surfacing in speculation.
Elliotte Friedman recently added fuel to the fire during an episode of his "32 Thoughts" podcast, openly wondering whether the Carolina Hurricanes might pursue Edvinsson. The defending Stanley Cup champions could find themselves in need of defensive reinforcements, particularly if they lose RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
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"I'll tell you, the other player that I heard in conjunction with them was Simon Edvinsson from the Red Wings," Friedman said. "He's a really good player, and if they lose Nikishin, they're gonna need a defenseman, right? And I think Edvinsson would be excellent for their system."
Friedman also praised Carolina's willingness to think outside the box. "Carolina has earned that, sort of, you'd better think of creative things they can do, and they're not afraid to try them," he added.
Detroit tendered Edvinsson a qualifying offer, which preserves his RFA rights but still leaves him eligible to receive an offer sheet from a rival club. The sixth overall pick from the 2021 draft has blossomed into one of the Red Wings' most important defensemen behind Moritz Seider.
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This past season, Edvinsson appeared in 72 games and set a new career high with nine goals while chipping in 16 assists for 25 points. He battled through a lingering injury that required surgery late in January but managed to return to the lineup before the end of February. Across 175 career NHL games, the 23-year-old has compiled 19 goals and 41 assists while averaging over 21 minutes of ice time per night.
Notably, Edvinsson did not file for arbitration, which some observers believe signals that he and the Red Wings are close to finalizing a long-term extension. A player who files for arbitration becomes ineligible to sign an offer sheet, so the decision to skip that route also keeps the door open for rival suitors.
Detroit does have the cap space to match a significant offer, which could complicate any opposing team's strategy, and as of now, there is no active GM in Hockey Town to react to any offer sheet or complete a deal with the talented blue liner. Still, with Carolina reportedly eyeing the young defenseman and the league's offer sheet culture seemingly shifting after the Carlsson bombshell, the Red Wings will want to lock Edvinsson up sooner rather than later.
