Simon Edvinsson skates in Nashville amid Red Wings standoff

The sighting came from the Instagram of Dustin Smith, a former Predators practice goalie, and the hockey internet took it from there.

The Predators say there's nothing to see. Edvinsson was reportedly skating in full gear at Centennial Ice Rink, and the team's explanation is about as boring as it gets. The detail doing the most work is the agency: CAA represents Edvinsson and has offices in Nashville.

That explanation probably holds up. Lots of agency clients use the agency's home city as a place to stay in shape, and a guy who doesn't have a team needs ice from somewhere. The Predators also told reporters they wouldn't comment on another team's players. But Nashville has been named among the teams rumored to be interested in Edvinsson, and GM Chris MacFarland has said publicly he wants to beef up his blue line. So even if the rental is exactly what it sounds like, it's a lot of smoke in 1 building.

Here's how Detroit got here. Edvinsson's entry-level deal ran out June 30, and the Red Wings sent him a qualifying offer to hold his rights. Then talks went nowhere. Edvinsson wants a long-term deal and Detroit has stuck with a short-term bridge. He even showed up to training camp unsigned as a good-faith gesture. On October 4, Elliotte Friedman reported Edvinsson would prefer to be traded.

The player is worth the drama. Detroit took him 6th overall in 2021, he's 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, and in 175 games with the Red Wings he has 19 goals and 41 assists while averaging 21:10 a night. That's a top-pair workload from a 23-year-old, which is exactly why Detroit is reportedly asking a big price and why half the league is calling.

There's a real clock on this. An RFA has to sign by December 1 to play in the 2026-27 season, whether that's a deal with Detroit or a sign-and-trade somewhere else. For a Red Wings front office already dealing with Dylan Larkin's trade request from June, losing a second core piece's whole season would be a disaster. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff has said he isn't interested in moving Edvinsson. Every week he spends skating in somebody else's city makes that harder to believe.

Maybe the Nashville skate really is just a guy renting ice near his agent's office. But with the December 1 deadline coming and the Predators reportedly in the market for defense, Detroit fans will be watching every Instagram story out of Tennessee until something gets signed.