Red Wings fall 5-4 in overtime to Devils as Edvinsson trade rumors swirl
Detroit fell 5-4 in overtime to New Jersey as trade rumors build around defenseman Simon Edvinsson and former captain Dylan Larkin.
Why Red Wings are trending
Red Wings are showing up in search for two reasons that are tangled together. On the ice, Detroit lost 5-4 in overtime to the New Jersey Devils, with Jack Hughes scoring the winner on a breakaway. Off the ice, trade talk around young defenseman Simon Edvinsson has been building for days and picked up again this week.
Here is what's actually known: the final score is Devils 5, Red Wings 4, in overtime. What's not settled is where Edvinsson, and fellow trade candidate Dylan Larkin, end up, or when. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff is the one who will decide what Detroit does next, and nothing has been finalized.
The Edvinsson situation
Edvinsson is a restricted free agent and still does not have a contract with Detroit. He has not formally asked for a trade, but he has reportedly indicated he would rather be dealt than sign a new deal with the Red Wings at this point.
The 23-year-old was drafted sixth overall in 2021. He stands 6-foot-6 and 222 pounds, graded out as an 87th-percentile defensive play driver last season on a Detroit team that struggled defensively overall, and chipped in nine goals. He ranks as Detroit's second-best defenseman behind Moritz Seider.
NHL insiders Frank Seravalli and Pierre LeBrun reported last week that at least 10 teams want in on a potential trade for Edvinsson. The Boston Bruins are among seven destinations being floated, a team that itself struggled to defend its own zone last season.
Larkin is in the same boat
Dylan Larkin, Detroit's former captain and top center, is also waiting on a trade and is still suiting up for the Red Wings in the meantime, playing out games while his future gets sorted elsewhere.
Detroit has missed the playoffs 10 straight times and has used 12 first-round picks over that stretch without breaking through. The team went the entire summer without hiring a general manager to replace Steve Yzerman, which is part of why Edvinsson's contract talks never got anywhere. Horcoff is now the interim GM making the call on both situations.
What happens next
Nothing is finalized on either front. The open question for Horcoff is whether Detroit chases NHL-ready veteran talent to try to compete now, or asks for draft picks and prospects and leans further into a rebuild. No trade involving Edvinsson or Larkin has been reported.
On the ice, last night's overtime loss to New Jersey is now in the books as a final. There is nothing yet in the reporting about Detroit's next game or roster moves tied to it.
Facts per Daily Faceoff, ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.