Insider David Pagnotta says the Red Wings are fielding a lot of interest in defenseman Simon Edvinsson, not just in Dylan Larkin.
That matters because the Larkin talk has dominated the Detroit rumor mill all week. Montreal has been tied to the captain, and now another name is moving up the board as the Red Wings get ready to host the Golden Knights tonight.
Pagnotta's message, relayed by NHL Rumour Report, was that even with the significant interest Montreal has shown in Larkin, there's also a lot of interest in Edvinsson.
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Edvinsson is 23, stands 6'6 and was drafted sixth overall by Detroit in 2021. He has 175 NHL games and 60 points over his career.
He hasn't played a game this season. He's listed on injured reserve for a contract dispute, out indefinitely, according to the latest injury report.
That is a strange spot for a young defenseman to be in while teams line up. The value is obvious, but so is the complication of a player who isn't in the lineup.
Why Larkin and Edvinsson are both in play
The Larkin side has been building for days. Darren Dreger's comments on Edvinsson and the Bruins pointed to Boston as a suitor, and the chatter has only grown since.
Larkin is 30 and has 6 points in 10 games this season. Detroit is 7-6-3 and sits 8th in the Atlantic Division, so the Red Wings are not exactly negotiating from a position of strength.
Montreal is a different case. The Canadiens are 9-3-3 and second in the Atlantic, and a team with that record doesn't chase a center like Larkin on a whim. Their last game ended in a 5-4 overtime loss to Winnipeg on Tuesday.
There's also the matter of what Detroit is willing to move. Trading a captain is one thing. Moving a former sixth overall pick on the blue line, in the middle of a contract dispute, is a harder sell to a fan base.
Other clubs are circling too. Sharks prospects linked to Edvinsson shows the market for him goes well beyond Montreal and Boston.
Detroit general manager Shawn Horcoff has a real decision here, and the Edvinsson situation looks like the one that could force his hand first. Trading him while the dispute is unresolved would be a mistake if the return isn't a clear step up.
Detroit hosts Vegas tonight, and the phone calls aren't going to slow down.
Should the Red Wings trade Simon Edvinsson before Dylan Larkin?
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