Red Wings, Edvinsson Get Down to Work

September 16, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now that Shawn Horcoff is officially installed as interim GM of the Detroit Red Wings, he’s already getting down to business on his most pressing issue.

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The Detroit Red Wings name Shawn Horcoff interim General Manager.

Details » https://t.co/Joaqi8DKUR pic.twitter.com/fYf5419PF8
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 15, 2026

Horcoff and the agent for Red Wings restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson are seeking to hammer out a new contract before the NHL regular season gets underway.

JP Barry, Edvinsson’s agent, confirmed to Gunnar Nordstrom of Swedish website Expressen that contract talks have begun in earnest now that they have someone to negotiate with on the Red Wings side of the ledger.

“We spoke [Tuesday],” Barry said. “He [Horcoff] now has the authority to negotiate on behalf of the club.”

When announcing Horcoff as interim GM on Tuesday, Red Wings CEO Chris Ilitch did acknowledge that he was permitting Horcoff to handle all of the day-to-day duties of running the team. That includes negotiating contracts.

“Shawn has my complete support, and the authority to make decisions in the best interests of our organization,” Ilitch said in a statement. “Moving forward, he will oversee our hockey operations with full authority and our complete confidence.”

Red Wings Will Have to Pay Edvinsson

While negotiations are ongoing, Edvinsson is committing to attend Red Wings training camp starting Thursday, even though he is without a contract.

“I just want to be ready for the season,” Edvinsson said.

The Red Wings will have to break open the bank to get Edvinsson’s name on a new pact. Looking at comparables among similar defensemen, he can probably expect a contract with an AAV between $7 and $9 million.

Of note with Shawn Horcoff being named interim GM in Detroit: He's been given the green light to negotiate contracts, which is notable for unsigned RFA Simon Edvinsson and pending UFA Alex DeBrincat, among others.

It's possible Horcoff keeps interim tag all season long.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 15, 2026

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, with much less NHL experience than Edvinsson, recently signed an eight-year deal with an AAV of $9.38 million. Pavel Mintyukov got an AAV of $7.2 million on his five-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks.

The question now is how quickly the two sides can hammer out a new deal for Edvinsson.

“We have two weeks before the season starts, so hopefully we can find an agreement before then,” Barry said.

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