If the Detroit Red Wings are smart, they'll do everything they can to sign Emmitt Finnie once the July 1 deadline for contract extensions arrives. In a rollercoaster season where they've seen players who are noncommittal about their futures in Detroit (Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson) and players who want to be here long-term (Alex DeBrincat), it'll be even more important going forward to sign young players early to avoid any more of these brutal off-ice controversies.
Finnie doesn't have much of a choice in the matter for the next two seasons, as he doesn't become a restricted free agent until the end of the 2027-28 season. It would be very surprising if the team and his representatives don't find a way to sign an extension before that contract expires, and with the way he has played over the last two seasons, it'd be malpractice for Detroit to slow-play negotiations with another young player.
Finnie has five points (three goals, two assists) over his first eight games, and it isn't just his counting statistics that are impressive. His team is scoring 80% of the goals while he is on the ice. While that is a number that usually moves closer to the league average at some point, his xGF is an impressive 58%, which would put him well above league average if he continues that over the entire season.
Those would be impressive analytics on a good team, but the fact that Finnie has those numbers on a team that is at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a -4 goal differential is even more proof that the Red Wings can't let their player fall by the wayside. In a fanbase and organization that is starving for a bright spot, Finnie is that player.
Emmitt Finnie’s line has a promising future
Finnie is averaging nearly 10 minutes per game with his line of DeBrincat and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. With DeBrincat committing long-term to the organization and Brandsegg-Nygard also being up for an extension at the end of the 2027-28 season, this is a line that can carry this team forward, well past the Larkin era.
Brandsegg-Nygard had just one point in 14 games last season, but has caught fire in his first full season with the team, recording six points in eight games. Whether this trio can maintain it over 84 games remains to be seen, but an early 64.8% xGF makes it a very promising possibility.
With this line at the forefront, the Red Wings have a bright future to sell to their fans, even if Larkin and Edvinsson aren't on the team by the end of the season. At this point, a bright future is really all we can hope for.
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