Simon Edvinsson finally realized his full potential for the Detroit Red Wings during the 2025-26 season. He became one of Todd McLellan's top options on the backend with Moritz Seider, playing nearly 20 minutes at five-on-five per game while also anchoring the penalty kill. While it still didn't lead to a playoff berth for the Red Wings, it came at the best possible time for the 22-year-old defenseman.
Steve Yzerman may not share the same sentiment. With Edvinsson due for a contract extension, he has shown the entire league that he will be a key piece for Detroit moving forward, which will force the general manager to pay the left-shot defender. If Yzerman is looking for a comparable, he may not have to look much further than Edvinsson's right side.
Moritz Seider was a sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Edvinsson went in the same position two years later, and both have been on similar paths with the Red Wings. Detroit gave Seider a seven-year, $8.55 million annual deal when he became eligible for a contract extension. While that is likely going to be the ceiling for any contracts given to the Wings' blueline, Edvinsson isn't going to come in much lower.
Edvinsson could make a case to get more than Seider, considering how much the salary cap has gone up, but most teams, especially ones with stubborn management like Yzerman, won't go over the salary of who they perceive is the team's best at that position. Edvinsson will likely align with that thinking, but he should come close to Seider based on the analytics.
Projecting Simon Edvinsson's contract extension
Negotiations for Seider's contract went into September before the defender signed. They eventually landed on his number after back-to-back seasons where he recorded 42 points. Despite the good offensive output, his Corsi numbers were lower than the Red Wings would've wanted at 46 and 47%. Nevertheless, Detroit trusted his development, and it paid off as he finished fifth in Norris Trophy voting this season.
Edvinsson doesn't have the offensive numbers that Seider had entering the negotiations, recording just 25 and 31 points over his last two seasons. However, his Corsi hit 52% this past season. While it took a while for Seider to figure out his all-around game, Edvinsson is already there, and it was the most impressive part of his growth this past season.
Massive shoutout to Simon Edvinsson who’s helped elevate Seider’s game https://t.co/bEeH5CKCxT pic.twitter.com/hCtxnhk5Uw
— Nick (@NickZararis) January 31, 2026
Seider received a seven-year, $59.85 million contract. With the rising cap, Edvinsson might be worth more at this point in time, but if he falls in line, it wouldn't be too egregious to see him get a seven-year, $56 million deal. It'd put him in the same category as Jake Sanderson and Philip Broberg league-wide, which seems like fair value for both sides.
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