The Detroit Red Wings now have a price tag on Simon Edvinsson, and it starts with a 10.
On Thursday, Chris Johnston said that if Detroit goes to $10 million a year, he's pretty sure the big Swedish defenseman would sign that contract.
That number lands on Shawn Horcoff's desk the same day his club opens the regular season at home against the Rangers tonight.
It's a massive jump. The blueliner's last listed cap hit was $894,167, running through 2025-26 with RFA status attached.
The production behind the ask is solid, not spectacular. Edvinsson put up 25 points in 72 games last season.
Read that again. His point total actually slipped from the 31 points he posted in 78 games the year before.
Edvinsson at $10 million would out-earn Cale Makar and Adam Fox
That's where this gets uncomfortable. Cale Makar carries a $9,000,000 cap hit in Colorado.
Adam Fox, whose Rangers provide the opening-night opposition, sits at $9,500,000.
Only five defensemen league-wide carry a bigger cap hit than $10 million: Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Drew Doughty, Thomas Harley and Evan Bouchard.
At that figure, Edvinsson would slot sixth among NHL blueliners, just ahead of Zachary Werenski in Columbus.
Here's my problem with it. Paying a 23-year-old with 60 career NHL points like a Norris anchor means paying for the player you hope he becomes.
It's like paying full asking price on a fixer-upper because the neighborhood might improve. Sometimes it does, and sometimes you're stuck with the mortgage.
And the tools are obvious. He's a 6-foot-6 left shot who finished plus-12 in each of the last two seasons.
Detroit spent the sixth overall pick in 2021 on him. Walking away from that kind of investment over a contract number would sting for years.
So does Horcoff blink at 10, or does he gamble that Edvinsson's price only climbs after a big year on the blue line?
Todd McLellan, meanwhile, has a long season to coach with this negotiation hovering over his defense corps.
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Johnston's number is public now. Every agent in the league heard it too, and the next offer out of Detroit will show whether Horcoff is listening.
Should Shawn Horcoff pay Simon Edvinsson $10 million a year?
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