DETROIT — Restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson has returned to Sweden to skate with Frölunda in his hometown of Gothenburg as contract talks with the Detroit Red Wings remain unresolved, leaving his status for the season opener in doubt. The 23-year-old defenseman last skated with Detroit on Saturday morning before the final preseason game and was reported back on the ice with Frölunda on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Detroit opens the 2026-27 season on Friday, Oct. 2, hosting the New York Rangers.
Edvinsson arranged his own insurance to participate in practices during training camp, but did not take part in scrimmages or exhibition games, and has not been with the team since the preseason ended. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said in a statement, "Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives." Teammate Moritz Seider voiced support after practice, saying, "We just know that he wants to be here. We want him here, and that's the bottom line. Everyone has to fight for their own contracts, and we all have his back and we support him. And we're just looking forward to when he eventually signs, hopefully sooner rather than late because he's a big part of our team, a big part of this organization and, moving forward, he will be a big piece to our success."
The standoff recalls negotiations two years ago under former general manager Steve Yzerman, when then-restricted free agents Seider and Lucas Raymond did not sign until right around the start of camp. "I think as a teammate, you're making sure that he's in a good mindset," Raymond said. "You kind of let all the business side to the front office. That's all we can do. Simon's a great player. He's a great guy. He's a big part of our team and we want him here. But at the same time, that's not really in our control. We're focused on Friday." Forward Andrew Copp added, "The situation is an important one, but we have so much to worry about in here. I can't really worry about if Simon is going to be here Friday or not. That's not my job. We want Simon here. He's a fantastic player, he's going to be a huge player for us for a long time, but none of us can control whether he's going to be here Friday or not."
If Edvinsson remains unsigned, rookie Anton Johansson looks poised to make his debut on opening night. Edvinsson could still make the opener if a deal is reached in the next 24 hours, though it would require an early morning flight from Sweden connecting through a major hub such as Amsterdam Schiphol or Paris Charles de Gaulle. "The players that are here in the locker room, the coaching staff that's here, we have jobs to do," coach Todd McLellan said. "The business between Simon and the hockey club, we have nothing to do with it. We can't change it. We can't affect it. There's nothing we can do about it. So it's pretty simple − we get out, we have a good practice like we did today, and we get ready for the game. And if you're in a Red Wing jersey, then you're playing. That's the only way we can deal with it."