The Red Wings have reportedly turned down a strong Sharks offer for Simon Edvinsson after the two teams held substantive talks.
Detroit beat Chicago 4-1 last night, yet the loudest question around the organization is about a defenseman who hasn't played a single game this season.
Edvinsson is listed on injured reserve because of a contract dispute, out indefinitely. That backdrop shapes every offer San Jose, or anyone else, puts in front of Shawn Horcoff.
He's 23, stands 6'6 and went sixth overall to Detroit in the 2021 draft. That pedigree is why the Red Wings aren't handing him away.
The production isn't the selling point. He has 60 points in 175 career games, so the pitch is size, age and draft slot.
NHLMuse, passing along the report from @FriedgeHNIC, says San Jose made at least one strong offer and Detroit ultimately said no.
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Rival front offices have not been shy about the other side of this. They call the Red Wings' asking price for Simon Edvinsson unrealistic.
Why the Sharks have a reason to push
San Jose beat Vancouver 3-2 last night and sits 7-6-1, fourth in the Pacific Division. The record looks fine on the surface.
The back end tells a different story. The Sharks have allowed 47 goals and carry a -7 goal differential, which is exactly the profile of a team shopping for help on defense.
Here's where Detroit's side gets uncomfortable. Turning down a strong offer for a player who isn't playing is a bold stance, and his value doesn't grow while he sits on IR.
Maybe Horcoff has the leverage anyway. The Red Wings have won two straight without Edvinsson, with Moritz Seider logging 24:17 and Viktor Arvidsson scoring three times against Chicago.
San Jose isn't the only name in the mix either. David Pagnotta already floated the Kraken as a fit for Simon Edvinsson, so the market exists.
Both clubs are back on the ice Saturday, Detroit against St. Louis and San Jose against Ottawa. Neither game will settle anything about Edvinsson.
If a strong offer wasn't enough, what is? And can anyone close a deal while the contract dispute is still unresolved?
Should the Red Wings have taken San Jose's strong offer for Simon Edvinsson instead of waiting out the contract dispute?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Red Wings offered Edvinsson four deals, and it's not enough
