The Detroit Red Wings are running out of time.
Labor Day is just around the corner and the team still doesn't have a GM. The proverbial chickens are slowly coming to roost, with training camp set to begin in a little under a week and the preseason a few weeks away.
But that isn't the biggest issue the Red Wings face.
September 15 is the cutoff period to sign players to eight year deals. Alex DeBrincat and Simon Edvinsson both need new contracts, with DeBrincat an unrestricted free agent after this season. If they hope to keep either player in their long-term plans, they'll need to quickly hammer out deals for both young stars.
If they can't get the deals done in time, they best they'll be able to manage is seven year contracts. While it isn't the end of the world, that one year of cost control can make all the difference, especially if the team is in a contending position by then.
It's even more important with Alex DeBrincat, who turns 29 this December.
Why the Red Wings need to prioritize Edvinsson and DeBrincat
The next general manager needs to determine the direction of this franchise quickly. Are they looking to contend now, or are they taking a step back? Do they need high scoring veterans like DeBrincat, or are they hoping to secure assets for the future? This decision will need to be dealt with quickly in order to focus on the future of Hockeytown.
DeBrincat is still in his prime and will likely have many, many years of good hockey ahead of him. Additionally, he wants to stay in Detroit and remain part of the solution. So long as the team pays him what he's worth, he sees his future in the Winged Wheel. This appears to be a match made in heaven, solving the need for high scorers while not needing to worry about a repeat of the Dylan Larkin situation.
As for Edvinsson, he makes up the other half of one of the best defensive pairings in the NHL. Together with Moritz Seider, the dynamic European duo is unstoppable, capable of standing up to even the toughest of lines in the league. Locking down a stalwart defender like Edvinsson gives the team even more flexibility as the salary cap continues to explode. The longer the term, the better the benefit is for the organization.
That's what makes the eight year deals so much more tantalizing than just a seven year contract.
Red Wings have extremely short runway
This next GM, whoever it may be, needs to hit the ground running as quickly as possible. In an ideal world, the Red Wings have a candidate locked down by Labor Day just in time for the team to secure eight year deals for both DeBrincat and Edvinsson. This, in turn, can serve as a great first impression for the new leadership.
How the next GM handles these two players will give everyone a much clearer picture on how they will operate with the Red Wings.
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