Chris Johnston says Simon Edvinsson could end up back in Sweden if the Red Wings' contract talks don't move forward.
The Detroit defenseman has not played a game this season, and he is listed on injured reserve with the designation "Contract Dispute - Out indefinitely." Johnston spoke about it on his show Thursday.
Johnston said Edvinsson has been in North America for the last little while, training, and that there's some talk about maybe going back to Sweden if things stall, according to the post below.
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That is a notable shift. A player training on this side of the ocean is staying ready for a deal. A player talking about a return to Sweden is weighing whether to wait at all.
Edvinsson is 23 and was drafted sixth overall by Detroit in 2021. He has 175 NHL games on his résumé, with 19 goals and 41 assists for 60 points.
Meanwhile, the standoff has dragged on while the Red Wings slide. They sit 20th in the NHL at 7-7-3 and have lost two straight, including a 2-1 defeat to Vegas on Thursday night.
Why the Red Wings can't wait much longer
Detroit is eighth in the Atlantic Division, and the goal differential is -3. That is not a team that can afford to leave a 6'6 top-pairing type defenseman at home in a contract fight.
Interest is already building around him. The Canadiens' interest in Simon Edvinsson surfaced Thursday, with David Pagnotta reporting "a lot of interest" in the blueliner.
That puts Shawn Horcoff in a tough spot. Either he finds a number that gets Edvinsson back in the lineup, or the market starts to dictate the outcome.
The Red Wings have also had another trade storyline running in the background, and Johnston recently weighed in on Dylan Larkin's trade market. Two significant names in the same locker room room is not the kind of noise Todd McLellan wants.
Detroit plays at Colorado on Saturday. Edvinsson will not be on the ice for it, and no one has said when that changes.
Quick hits
MINNESOTA WILD: Michael Russo says Jesper Wallstedt gets the start tonight against the Sharks. Calvin Pickard is set to follow tomorrow, so the Wild have their weekend goalie plan mapped out.
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TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: John Tavares skated in a regular sweater at practice this morning, according to Mark Masters of TSN and Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. That's a good sign for a Leafs group that wants him back.
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COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: The Blue Jackets recalled Steven Lorentz and Jack Williams from Cleveland, per NHL Rosters, hours before tonight's game at Buffalo. A quick fix to the lineup before puck drop.
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Should the Red Wings pay Simon Edvinsson to end the standoff rather than risk losing him?
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