Alex DeBrincat has one year left on his deal, and unlike Dylan Larkin, he doesn't sound like a player looking for the exit.
Per Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now, DeBrincat isn't seen as a real trade concern, largely because he genuinely likes playing in front of his family and friends.
That's not new information exactly. DeBrincat forced his way to Detroit from Ottawa in the first place for that same reason.
Worth noting though, there's no direct quote from DeBrincat himself confirming any of this. It's framed as reporting through other circles, not his own words.
That distinction matters, but it doesn't make the reporting less credible. If anything, DeBrincat's actions already back up the sentiment.
DeBrincat posted 41 goals and 44 assists for 85 points in 82 games this past season, elite production regardless of what's happening around him organizationally.
Larkin gets brought up constantly in these conversations because he wants out of a team that's actually close to turning a corner.
What a DeBrincat extension could actually cost Detroit
DeBrincat's situation reads differently. Some things matter more than hockey, and staying near home clearly carries real weight for him.
That's not the same as saying he'd be fine playing for a last place team forever. It's more that hometown pull factors into his thinking far more than it ever did for Larkin.
None of that should raise questions about his competitive level either. DeBrincat plays like a dog every night, offense and defense both, even when defense isn't his strength.
A player who wants to be here through a retool, representing the team he grew up watching, is exactly the kind of player worth locking up long term.
The number gets complicated fast. Earlier this offseason, DeBrincat's next deal was being talked about in the range of $11,000,000 annually.
Given how aggressively money has flown around the league this summer, that number might already look modest by the time Detroit gets a deal done.
Detroit currently holds the most cap space in the NHL, though that shifts once Simon Edvinsson gets his inevitable extension and once Larkin actually gets moved.
Edvinsson posted 9 goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 72 games this season, a real building block Detroit still needs to lock up alongside DeBrincat.
A four year deal would keep DeBrincat locked in through what should still be his prime scoring years, right as this retool is supposed to turn back into contention.
Young prospects are lottery tickets no matter how safe they look on paper. A proven 40 goal scorer who isn't chasing an exit is a much safer bet during a retool like this one.
Whether DeBrincat gives any kind of hometown discount remains the real unknown, and that answer probably depends more on him than on anything Detroit's front office controls.
Should the Red Wings lock up Alex DeBrincat long term during this retool?
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