The Free Press’s Helene St. James updates the statuses of restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson and new acquisition Andreas Englund this morning, discussing the slightly uncomfortable situation that the Red Wings’ players find themselves in as Detroit attempts to re-sign Edvinsson:

“We all have Simon’s back,” fellow defenseman Moritz Seider said, “but also we know it’s a hard situation for [interim GM Shawn Horcoff], as well. It’s obviously his first deal. I think it will be done eventually. I think we just have high hopes and a good mood. Just got to remind everyone that we’re all in the same team in the end, and I think it will be worked out.”

Edvinsson, 23, is a restricted free agent. He’s one of the team’s most important players, a 6-foot-6, 225 pound behemoth who is an excellent skater and puck-handler. To not have him in the lineup would be a blow – but there’s time yet this week, as the Wings don’t open the 2026-27 season until they host the New York Rangers on Friday, Oct. 2 (6:30 p.m., TNT/truTV).

Having arranged his own insurance, Edvinsson practiced with the team through training camp but did not take part in scrimmages or exhibition games. Now, with the preseason done, he’s not on the ice with his teammates – but if a contract is signed, for example, hours before a game, there’s a spot for him in the lineup.

“He’s fit,” [coach Todd] McLellan said. “He’s ready. He knows the guys. He’s been working systematically with us. So if that happened, yeah, we would, providing he’s mentally and physically ready to go, we would have no problem playing him quickly.”

Continued (paywall); Edvinsson is probably practicing on his own at a rink in Metro Detroit to keep up his conditioning.

As far as the 30-year-old Englund is concerned, the 30-year-old defenseman awaits for his immigration papers, and Seider praised the Wings’ waiver move to land a #7 defenseman who can step into the lineup and contribute stability and toughness to the team’s cause:

Continue reading HSJ in the morning: On Simon Edvinsson’s contract negotiations being ‘just business’ to his teammates, and tough guy Andreas Englund →

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman offers the following regarding Red Wings restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson in his “32 Thoughts” column:

10. Heading into last weekend, Detroit was firm on a bridge for Simon Edvinsson. I say it a lot: If you think someone is a cornerstone, lock him up for as long as you can, because the price never goes down. This is a great opportunity for Shawn Horcoff, but it might be prudent for Detroit to bring in an experienced advisor, a sober second thought, if you will. I can understand the Red Wings don’t desire to make major commitments in the interim, but time does not stop. Edvinsson, Larkin and UFA-to-be Alex DeBrincat must be dealt with sooner or later.

Continued at length; the Wings should lock up Edvinsson and they should lock him up long-term.

The Red Wings released their 23-man roster on Monday promptly at 5 PM, but Detroit coach Todd McLellan cautioned both the Free Press’s Helene St. James and the rest of the Red Wings’ fandom that it may not be the roster we see hit the ice vs. the New York Rangers on Friday:

“Often see a roster submitted, and it’s made public, and then all of a sudden things change two or three days down the road,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We’re one of the late-starting teams this year. There’s games tomorrow already, and I think when we do play the Rangers, if I’m correct, that’ll be their third game already. So we are a late starting team. We have a little more time to shuffle things around, and we’ll use that time.

Gibson was excused from practice Monday because he was sick, per McLellan. Larkin practiced, but was still not part of a regular line. He has been nursing an upper-body injury since before camp began, and his availability for games remains unknown.

“He has, I believe he has a doctor’s appointment today at some point, and we’ll get more of a feedback from the physicians at that time to see where he’s at,” McLellan said.

McLellan also said this to MLive’s Ansar Khan about the unsigned Simon Edvinsson:

“He’s fit, he’s ready,” McLellan said. “He knows the guys. He’s been working systematically with us, so if that happened, yeah, we would (play him). Providing he’s mentally and physically ready to go, we would have no problem playing him quickly.”

Edvinsson, 23, is coming off his entry-level contract. He can sign for a maximum of seven years under the new CBA that took effect on Sept. 16, though there is speculation the Red Wings would prefer a bridge deal (two or three years).

Vancouver inked Zeev Buium to an eight-year, $75.04 million deal ($9.38 million average annual value) before the previous CBA expired. That’s one comparable to Edvinsson.

“The business part of the game sometimes takes a while,” McLellan said. “I know that Horc is working really hard and we’ll continue to do that. Simon’s an important part of our team and we’d like to have him here. But business is part of the game.”

From The Fourth Period (no author given):

Contract negotiations remain ongoing between the Detroit Red Wings and restricted free agent defenceman Simon Edvinsson, who attended training camp but is not longer with the club.

Edvinsson, 23, is believed to be seeking a long-term contract worth at least $9 million to $10 million per season, depending on term.

Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff confirmed to the media earlier today that Edvinsson is not with the club, thought contract talks continue.

“As of today, Simon is not practicing with the team,” Horcoff told Red Wings beat reporter Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. “The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives.”

Edvinsson and Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Alexander Nikishin remain the two unsigned RFAs in the NHL. While Detroit aims to keep their defenceman, Carolina has been actively trying to trade theirs, at the player’s request.

Pay the man. No bridge deal. Long-term. It will be worth the $ in the long run.

Amongst the items of note after today’s Red Wings practice at the BELFOR Training Center:

97.1 the Ticket’s Mike Stone posted a 3-minute “scrum” interview with Moritz Seider…

While waiting for some more Pistons on media day,it was a good chance to hear from Mo Seider pic.twitter.com/lEdQpqx3pf

— michael stone (@stoney16) September 28, 2026

Then the organization “put out a statement” regarding unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson:

Shawn Horcoff on unsigned Red Wings D Simon Edvinsson: “As of today, Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives.”

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) September 28, 2026

Statement from Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff: “As of today, Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives.” #LGRW #RedWings

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) September 28, 2026

Simon Edvinsson didn’t practice today and doesn’t have a locker in the Red Wings dressing room.

Statement from GM Shawn Horcoff via Red Wings: “As of today, Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives.”

— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) September 28, 2026

There’s also a video link to a 4:31 clip in which John Buccigross and Frank Seravalli discuss whether the Blue Jackets or Red Wings have more questions heading toward the start of the 2025-2026 regular season…And they are f***ing gloomy in their outlook for Detroit.

Then there’s this…

Gibson was sick https://t.co/l3Pf9BTohd

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) September 28, 2026

And this:

#RedWings McLellan said Larkin seeing doctor today and still not sure if he’ll be ready to play Friday. GIbson was sick today.

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) September 28, 2026

And here’s the video from the Red Wings, in which Moritz Seider, Andreas Englund and coach Todd McLellan speak with the media:

Continue reading Post-practice Tweets/video: Red Wings ‘release statement’ regarding unsigned Simon Edvinsson; Gibson ill + a video of Seider, Englund and coach McLellan speaking with the media →

From the Detroit Red Wings:

RED WINGS REDUCE ROSTER TO 23

  … Detroit Opens 101st Season with Home Game Against New York Rangers

on Friday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena …

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today assigned goaltender Carter Gylander to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Additionally, the Red Wings have placed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on injured reserve retroactive to Sept. 24. The Red Wings have also designated defenseman Andreas Englund as immigration non-roster, and forwards Carter Bear and Chase Stillman as injured non-roster.

The roster moves bring the Red Wings to a 23-man roster, consisting of 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders. The Red Wings will begin their 101st season in franchise history on Friday, Oct. 2 with a home game against the New York Rangers at 6:30 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena.

UPDATE: The Detroit Red Wings assigned goaltender Carter Gylander to the Griffins #GoGRG

DETAILS | 🔗 https://t.co/ZI4Qjg8AU2 pic.twitter.com/ubvgLkJ6xy

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) September 28, 2026

The Hockey News’s Ismail Fasih spoke with Red Wings prospect and University of Minnesota-Duluth captain Max Plante about the upcoming college hockey season.

Plante has returned to UMD after winning the Hobey Baker Award in no small part to play alongside his brothers Victor (a Red Wings prospect) and Zam (a Penguins prospect)…

“That was definitely a big factor,” Plante said in an interview with The Hockey News. “I knew the team we were going to have coming back this year was going to be good. I think it weighed on me heavily just knowing that I had that good of a year … that hockey-wise, I probably could’ve been ready to turn pro, but I don’t think there is a big need to rush and I knew the opportunity might never be there to play with both brothers. Especially at this high of a level; and not only those two but the group of guys we have.”

Though Plante is staying put in Duluth, he is not out of the Red Wings’ attention. The highly coveted prospect is still subject to regular check-ins, who are so far loving Plante’s progress at Minnesota-Duluth.

“So far, during those meetings, (I am asked) just to keep (continue) doing what I am doing,” said Plante.

Plante might not have originally been viewed as as a highly coveted prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft, but Detroit took a chance on him as a playmaker with elite passing skills and wound up picking him 47th overall in the second round. That is a far cry from the elite goal-scorer he is now as his 25 goals topped the highly competitive NCHC conference in the 2025-26 season.

“A big testament to why I am scoring more goals is the guys whom I’m playing with pass me the puck a lot, so I’m put in situations to score more,” said Plante. “Obviously, just keep working on my shot. My shot’s definitely been getting better (after) putting in the time and hours and … that’s been a big thing for my game.”

Plante told Fasih that he and the Bulldogs fully believe that they can make a run at an NCAA title this upcoming season:

Continue reading Red Wings prospect Max Plante’s excited about the season to come at Minnesota-Duluth →

The Red Wings hit the ice at Little Caesars Arena’s BELFOR Training Center just after 3 PM today, without Simon Edvinsson, Jacob Bernard-Docker, or goaltender John Gibson:

#RedWings take the ice for a late afternoon practice. Andreas Englund, wearing 24, has joined the team. pic.twitter.com/TgTlxUtPep

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) September 28, 2026

Newly acquired defenseman Andreas Englund (picked up off waivers Saturday) skating with Red Wings today. pic.twitter.com/wUD79HLznA

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) September 28, 2026

All the players on the bubble (Mazur, Wallinder, ASP, Anton Johansson) are practicing. Initial roster must be set by 5 today but it can and likely will be changed by Friday’s opener. pic.twitter.com/B43RL9YOe3

— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) September 28, 2026

Continue reading Tweets from Monday’s practice: Edvinsson, Bernard-Docker, Gibson miss Red Wings’ afternoon skate →

The Red Wings haven’t posted any formal press releases regarding the team’s 23-man roster, which is due to the NHL by 5 PM today, but NHL Rosters on Twitter posted this update on Detroit’s roster…

#RedWings have placed D Jacob Bernard-Docker on Injured Reserve.

— NHL Rosters (@NHL_Rosters) September 28, 2026

As such, the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker surmises that a young defenseman could make the Wings’ roster out of training camp, if only temporarily:

This means that the chances of young defenseman Anton Johansson, who impressed during Training Camp and the preseason, could very well find himself on the Opening Night roster.

Additionally, the Red Wings recently claimed 6-foot-4 defenseman Andreas Englund off waivers from the Calgary Flames. 

I would honestly expect Englund to make the roster first…

Two more sets of preseason power rankings hit the web this morning, and both discuss the Detroit Red Wings–with one issuing more positivity than the other.

First, Daily Faceoff’s Mike Gould and Scott Maxwell weigh in with a set of season-opening rankings…

Too Bad to be Good, Too Good to be Bad

Detroit Red Wings

Scott: If Dylan Larkin stays, I like the Red Wings chances a little bit more. But even then, they still were on the outside looking in in a division which will be tougher this year. But Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are also too good for this team to tank. It feels like they’ll have to briefly retool (during a rebuild, mind you) before swinging back to playoff contention if they move on from Larkin.

Mike: Losing Patrick Kane is addition by subtraction, but there’s still not much to like here. Red Wings fans are understandably furious about everything that’s going on. They deserve better.

Continued; and Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon forced himself to say something positive about each and every one of the NHL’s 32 teams:

26. Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin will expand his list of acceptable trade destinations one more time and the Wings will get the package they’re after. Moritz Seider will finish as runner-up for the Norris. 

Also continued; we can hope…