The Detroit Red Wings have shut down the Toronto Maple Leafs' interest in Simon Edvinsson, and they did it out loud.
Red Wings management said this week it has “zero interest” in moving the 23-year-old defenceman. That came one day after a report surfaced that Toronto had made exploratory calls.
Those calls were never close to a deal. The Fourth Period described the talks as loose, and the Leafs also checked in with the Hurricanes about blue line help.
So why is Toronto shopping at all? Because Chris Tanev got hurt in the October 10 win in Colorado and landed on injured reserve with an upper-body issue.
The Leafs haven't put a return date on the 36-year-old. And the timing stings, with Toronto dropping a 5-4 overtime decision to Buffalo at home last night.
That loss stretched the skid to two. Toronto has allowed 28 goals through eight games, and that number says plenty about the blue line.
Edvinsson's contract standoff leaves Detroit holding all the leverage
Edvinsson hasn't played a game this season while his contract dispute drags on. His last deal carried a cap hit of $894,167 before he reached restricted free agency.
Detroit isn't exactly cruising without him. The Red Wings sit at 2-3-2 after a 2-1 win over Philadelphia last night.
Saying no in public is a negotiating move. It tells the player's camp the team won't be rushed, and it tells Toronto to stop calling.
Think of a homeowner pulling the For Sale sign off the lawn the morning after a buyer knocks. The asking price just went up.
The appeal is obvious. Edvinsson stands 6-foot-6, shoots left, and finished plus-12 in each of his last two seasons.
He put up 31 points in 2024-25 and 25 more last season.
Career-wise, the sixth overall pick from 2021 sits at 60 points over 175 NHL games.
Here's the blunt part. Chasing him as a Tanev patch was a bad fit from the start, because a left-shot kid needing a new deal doesn't replace a right-shot veteran.
Toronto's blue line already leans on Darren Raddysh and his $8,500,000 cap hit. Morgan Rielly is a -5 so far.
Stacking another big contract onto that group gets expensive fast. Detroit knows that, and it's pricing the conversation accordingly.
The two clubs don't meet until December 22 in Detroit. By then, Edvinsson could be signed and skating for the Red Wings, or still sitting out.
Toronto hosts the Islanders on Saturday with the same thin group. If Tanev's timeline stretches, do the Leafs keep dialing Detroit anyway?
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Should the Maple Leafs keep pushing Detroit for Simon Edvinsson?
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