Canadiens enter the Simon Edvinsson sweepstakes

The Canadiens have "a lot of interest" in Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, according to David Pagnotta.

Until now, the trade chatter around the 23-year-old has pointed west. Pierre LeBrun's report on the Sharks and Edvinsson had San Jose as the team connected to him, and Montreal's name changes the shape of that market.

Habs Fanatics passed along the report, noting that Edvinsson is 6-foot-6 with smooth skating and the ability to carry the puck out of his own end.

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He was the sixth overall pick in 2021, and he has 60 points in 175 NHL games. Those aren't star numbers yet, but he's a big defenseman who moves well, and teams tend to pay for that profile.

The complication is his status. Edvinsson is listed on injured reserve with a contract dispute, out indefinitely, and he has not played a game in 2026-27.

Why Montreal makes sense as a landing spot

The Canadiens are 9-3-3 and sit second in the Atlantic Division, so this isn't a team shopping from a position of weakness. They lost 4-5 in overtime to the Jets on Tuesday and are in action tonight against Utah.

Detroit is a different story. The Red Wings are 7-6-3, eighth in the Atlantic, and they dropped a 4-2 decision in Tampa Bay on Tuesday before hosting the Golden Knights tonight.

Interest from Montreal also gives Detroit more to work with. Darren Dreger's Edvinsson trade report tied the San Jose speculation to Michael Misa, and a second suitor can only help Shawn Horcoff's asking price.

Here's the part that bothers me. Trading for a defenseman who is in a contract dispute and hasn't played this season is a gamble, and the Canadiens would be wise to get clarity on that before they talk about assets.

The Red Wings head to Colorado on Saturday while the Canadiens visit Toronto the same day. Whichever suitor Detroit leans toward, the dispute that has kept Edvinsson off the ice still has to be settled first.

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