Red Wings Holdout Could Cost Them Two Stars to Montreal

Dylan Larkin is reportedly not the only Detroit Red Wings asset drawing interest from the Montreal Canadiens.

According to NHL Network insider David Pagnotta on DFO Insider, defenseman Simon Edvinsson has emerged as an alternative target for Montreal.

“As much as Montreal…have had significant interest in Dylan Larkin…there’s also a lot of interest in Simon Edvinsson,” Pagnotta revealed.

Both players have dominated trade chatter surrounding the Red Wings.

Edvinsson remains an unsigned restricted free agent after contract extension negotiations hit an impasse over significant salary discrepancies.

The NHL’s critical Dec. 1 signing deadline is fast approaching.

After that date, Edvinsson becomes ineligible to skate this season.

The 23-year-old blueliner now considers a trade his most realistic path back onto the ice.

Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff would ideally prefer to retain the young defenseman.

But Detroit is actively fielding calls across the league.

The Red Wings are demanding an established young center or an elite prospect in any potential return package.

This addresses a glaring organizational void down the middle.

The San Jose Sharks have emerged as a primary suitor for Edvinsson.

San Jose is dangling young center depth such as Michael Misa and Filip Bystedt.

The Boston Bruins are aggressively pursuing Edvinsson to anchor their top pairing alongside Charlie McAvoy.

The Seattle Kraken, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues remain firmly in contention.

Larkin’s market, by contrast, remains tightly constrained by his 10-team approved list.

The Minnesota Wild have mounted a persistent pursuit centered around multiple first-round draft picks.

The Washington Capitals, Utah Mammoth, and Canadiens remain prominent contenders.

Recent reports involving Nikita Kucherov have cooled expectations surrounding a potential Larkin deal.

But the spotlight has shifted toward Edvinsson.

He increasingly looks poised to finish the campaign in a different sweater.

The situation has reached what local radio hosts call a “bizarro” level.

Mike Valenti and Rico Beard reacted on 97.1 The Ticket to the latest updates.

They described the franchise as entering a full-blown standoff.

Larkin’s banner has been taken down at Little Caesars Arena.

This move has intensified rumors of the captain’s impending departure.

David Pagnotta also discussed the Larkin situation on Daily Faceoff.

He noted that conversations have escalated since Larkin took his stance.

Larkin reportedly told the organization, “Peace out, trade me. You guys have had too much time on this one.”

Pagnotta is waiting to see if Larkin expands his trade list.

“Does he dig in and say, ‘That’s it,’ or does he say, ‘Fine, I’ll add teams A,B, C,’” Pagnotta said.

Minnesota’s offer is known: Danila Yurov, two first-round picks, and a couple roster guys to make the money work.

“They feel that that’s their best offer for now, anyway, and sounds like that’s the best offer amongst the 10 teams on his list,” Pagnotta said.

It still does not appease what Detroit wants.

“I think they get more out of a couple of the teams that are not on his list,” Pagnotta added.

Those teams include Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, St. Louis, and Los Angeles.

“Do they get more out of one of those four or five teams than they would out of Minnesota for, for right now?” Pagnotta asked.

He believes Horcoff and company are waiting to see if there is an opportunity to expand further.

“Because they can turn around and say, ‘Look, man, we can we can end this today. It’s one of these teams. Pick, but we’re not there yet,’” Pagnotta said.

The Dec. 1 deadline adds urgency to the Edvinsson situation.

Under NHL rules, an unsigned restricted free agent who does not sign by that date cannot play for the rest of the season.

This rule is designed to push both sides toward a resolution.

For Edvinsson, the stakes are high.

He was selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, sixth overall.

The Swedish defenseman has shown promise as a mobile, two-way blueliner.

Losing him for the entire season would be a significant blow to the Red Wings.

Larkin, meanwhile, has been the face of the franchise since being named captain in 2021.

The 29-year-old center has a no-move clause that allows him to block trades to 10 teams.

He has reportedly refused to waive that protection for Buffalo, despite a strong push from the Sabres.

The standoff has created uncertainty throughout the organization.

Fans in Hockeytown are watching closely as the drama unfolds.

The Red Wings are in a period of transition under new leadership.