It can't get much worse for the Detroit Red Wings. It was a offseason that saw captain Dylan Larkin asking for a trade that quickly snowballed into a failed contract discussions with Simon Edvinsson. The left-shot defenseman is now back home in Sweden awaiting an outcome, which Elliotte Friedman reported could be closer to a trade than a long-term contract extension.
The most unfortunate part of the whole thing would be losing the young defenseman, but the fact that Detroit wouldn't part with him to acquire Quinn Hughes and now risk losing him for a much lesser return could be some of the worst asset management we've seen in a long time. Nevertheless, a couple of teams could put together a trade package to get Detroit to bite.
Bruins have plenty of prospects to offer
The Boston Bruins are reportedly interested in Edvinsson, and the landing spot makes a ton of sense. Charlie McAvoy is at his best when playing with another top defenseman, something he hasn't really had since Zdeno Chara left the Bruins. Matt Grzelcyk had been his most consistent partner before leaving the organization, and last year he spent most of the season with AHL veteran Jonathan Aspirot.
The Bruins may not want to part ways with a player like James Hagens or Fraser Minten, but could the Wings get their top college prospect, Dean Letourneau? Other options include Mason Lohrei, who has looked better in his first three games this season than he has ever looked, and 22-year-old center Matthew Poitras, who could eventually play in the middle six. The Bruins also have some first-round picks to deal still after trading two of them for JJ Peterka.
The Maple Leafs are bullish on Edvinsson
John Chayka has been very active since taking the general manager job with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he may not be done after acquiring Kirill Marchenko before the regular season opener. The Leafs have a bit of a bare prospect cupboard, and some gave them grief for trading their top trade piece, Matthew Knies, for another winger instead of a top-four defenseman, but there are some other intriguing players there.
The question would be whether Toronto is willing to part ways with players like Easton Cowan and/or Ben Danford to get the deal done, which seems unlikely given the way Cowan started the season. Nevertheless, some argue the Maple Leafs haven't had a true No. 1 defenseman since Borje Salming, and the fellow Swede could be the perfect fit.
Never count the Minnesota Wild out
Instead of trying to receive a package of players for Edvinsson, could the Red Wings now change their minds and put together a deal for Quinn Hughes? Bill Guerin and the Minnesota Wild took a big risk acquiring one of the league's top defensemen without signing an extension, and time is running short now to get it done before July 1.
Guerin has enough nerve to let it run its course, especially with the Wild looking good to start the season. However, if Edvinsson is still holding out later in the year and Minnesota changes their mind, could they attempt to trade Hughes and accrue some of the assets they lost in the original deal? Unlikely, but worth thinking about.
The only issue is that Edvinsson needs to sign a deal before December 1 to play this season. It could be a bit soon for Guerin to make any big decisions on the future of Hughes in Minnesota.
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