Edvinsson Contract: Red Wings, Agent Meet Face-to-Face

Simon Edvinsson and the Red Wings finally sat down in the same room, but the contract standoff is still alive.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Tuesday that Edvinsson and his agent, J.P. Barry, met face-to-face with interim general manager Shawn Horcoff over the weekend. LeBrun was asked on TSN whether there was any news on the Edvinsson front.

“I can confirm that Edvinsson and his agent, J.P. Barry, met face-to-face with Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff over the weekend, sort of all laying their cards on the table. I don’t sense that obviously there was any resolution to come out of it, but those types of meetings are important when something like this drags out.”

LeBrun also said Edvinsson still probably views a trade as his best scenario, though he stopped short of calling it a formal trade request.

That sits awkwardly next to what Horcoff said last week. The Detroit GM told reporters he had zero interest in trading Edvinsson and wants to sign him. Teams keep calling anyway, and The Score’s write-up of the report says the Sharks and Bruins are among the clubs in the mix.

Here’s LeBrun’s earlier report on how many teams have called:

The deadline is the pressure point. Edvinsson is a restricted free agent, and if he doesn’t sign by Dec. 1 he can’t play in the NHL this season. He is 23, played 72 games last year and posted 25 points.

Money is the sticking point, with Detroit’s seven-year, $91 million extension for Alex DeBrincat on Oct. 13 resetting the room. Pro Hockey Rumors says Edvinsson is believed to be seeking more than $10 million per season and the numbers haven’t been close.

LeBrun said a trade would be expensive. He pointed to the Mikhail Sergachev, Noah Dobson and Bowen Byram deals as the best comparables, all of them young top-four defensemen who cost real assets.

Horcoff still hasn’t given up on a signing, but six weeks goes fast.