The Athletic’s Max Bultman discusses the contractual “dominoes” which the Detroit Red Wings face over the course of July, August and early September, a.k.a. Detroit’s offseason, in the form of Patrick Kane’s status, Alex DeBrincat’s potential contract extension, and the same for Simon Edvinsson:
Alex DeBrincat
While [Patrick] Kane and DeBrincat’s friendship makes it tempting to link these two situations, Kane’s age (37) means DeBrincat’s decision about his future needs to be made independently.
One year from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and thus eligible for an extension, DeBrincat is in line for a huge raise on his next deal — and maybe more than we even realized a month or two ago. At the time, the main parameter-setting contract was Adrian Kempe ($10.625 million for eight years), and Alex Tuch’s eight-year deal at $10.5 million reinforced that for a late-20s scorer.
DeBrincat has outproduced both of them, though, and after seeing what kind of money NHL teams were willing to throw around for Jason Robertson and now Leo Carlsson — although Carlsson is much younger and a center, so certainly not a perfect comparable — it’s fair to wonder what could be out there a year from now for DeBrincat, a three-time 40-goal scorer who was 11th in NHL goals and 19th in points last season.
In other words, the Red Wings need to come correct with their offers to DeBrincat, even if that number is over (and possibly well over) $11 million. It’s a lot of money, but it’s the new way of the world in the NHL. And if they don’t pay it, the odds are good that someone else will a year from now.
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The Red Wings don’t technically have to sign DeBrincat to an extension this summer, with a year left on his current contract. But getting a deal done sooner would prevent this one from looming all year. And with the cap set to rise again in a year, it may save Detroit some money, too. Letting a player get too close to the open market is always a risk.
Bultman continues at length (paywall), and Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson weighed in on the prospect of DeBrincat asking for a trade this upcoming season, should Detroit not reach a contractual solution with #93:
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request last month surprised the hockey world, sparking speculation over where he’ll end up and what type of return he might fetch. It also raised questions about Alex DeBrincat’s future with the franchise.
DeBrincat joined his hometown club in July 2023 in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, signing a four-year contract as a restricted free agent. He quickly became one of their top scorers, finishing the 2025-26 campaign with a team-leading 41 goals and 85 points.
However, Larkin’s trade request could leave DeBrincat questioning the direction of the Red Wings under general manager Steve Yzerman. It’s been 10 years since they last made the playoffs. In each of the last three seasons, the Wings entered March holding a postseason berth, only to tumble out of contention.
Larkin has kept silent about his request, but it’s believed to be based in part on his frustration over the Wings’ playoff drought and tension between him and Yzerman. If he’s traded, the Wings will lose their first-line center and best two-way forward.
DeBrincat is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. If the Wings are out of contention by the end of February, the 28-year-old winger could decide his future lies elsewhere and request a move by the March trade deadline.
I cannot emphasize this enough: I do not believe that DeBrincat “wants out” of Detroit, especially given his family situation, but if he chooses not to re-sign, the Red Wings will NOT simply walk away and afford DeBrincat the opportunity to leave as an unrestricted free agent. They’ll trade him instead.
