The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a to-do list for the Red Wings ahead of training camp, and she includes four topics of interest, including the following:
Let’s ‘C’ if Larkin comes to camp
Larkin has been mum on his side, but it’s been four months since made his trade request (Yzerman said it was shortly after the season ended, which was April 15). No deal has materialized.
The Wings want full value − and preferably value-now players in return for Larkin, who centers their top line and has a very palatable $8.7 million salary cap hit. That’s why, as Yzerman said, he didn’t promise to trade Larkin. If Larkin does not report to camp, he won’t be paid. If he does, there’ll be intense scrutiny, from fans to media to team personnel.
And he almost certainly would have to turn in his captaincy. The Wings have a natural successor to the captain role in Moritz Seider, but is it fair to Seider to award him the “C” during such circumstances? They might skip a season.
Re-signing Simon Edvinsson
Edvinsson remains a restricted free agent, and he should see a huge payday. His contract could eclipse the $8.55 million cap hit belonging to Seider. Bowen Byram, the No. 4 overall pick from 2019, just received an extension from the Blackhawks with a hefty $12.5 million cap hit.
The Wings can ill afford Edvinsson (No. 6 pick in 2021) to be on the sidelines awaiting a new contract when their season begins, as he is one of their top workhorses.
Alex DeBrincat’s new deal is on a clock
DeBrincat, whose 41 goals led the Wings last season, is entering the last year of his contract. The 28-year-old from Farmington Hills is their top goal-scorer (he reached 39 two years ago), and getting him locked up long-term is vital. But under the new NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, maximum player contracts drop by one year starting Sept. 16, from eight to seven if re-signing with one’s current team and from seven to six years with a new team.
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