Simon Edvinsson draws calls from 10 teams, Bruins included

Pierre LeBrun put the number on it Thursday, and the bigger number is how far apart the 2 sides still are on money.

Pierre LeBrun

@PierreVLeBrun

Boston is among a long list of teams that has shown interest in Simon Edvinsson. Believe there’s at least 10 teams that have inquired. But those teams are being told by interim GM Shawn Horcoff that his preference remains trying to re-sign the RFA. The longer this goes on, obviously a trade becomes possible. But Detroit still wants to sign him. Horcoff has full authority from ownership to get an extension done with Edvinsson, who has been offered, long-, mid- and short-term deals. There remains a sizeable gap on salary.

Read that one twice. Horcoff isn't hanging up on anybody, but he isn't taking the calls seriously yet either. Ownership has given him full authority to get an extension done. Detroit has put long, mid and short-term deals in front of Edvinsson. And LeBrun's own words are that the longer this drags, the more realistic a trade gets. That's a GM saying no for now, not no forever.

The money gap is real. Yahoo Sports reports Detroit's offer is around $8.5 million a year over 6 years, and Edvinsson's camp is reportedly asking for about $11 million a season on a long-term deal. That's a $2.5 million-a-year difference, and you don't split that over a phone call. It's also worth noting that Detroit has reportedly already raised its offer and moved off the short-term bridge deal it wanted at first.

Why is a 23-year-old defenseman worth this fight? Edvinsson went 6th overall to Detroit in 2021, he's 6-foot-6, and he put up 9 goals and 25 points in 72 games last season. His entry-level deal ran out after that, and teams don't find left-shot defensemen that size who can move the puck very often. That's exactly why 10 front offices are calling about an unsigned RFA.

The timing couldn't be worse for Detroit. Steve Yzerman stepped down as GM, Horcoff went from assistant GM to interim GM, and the team is still stuck in a 10-season playoff drought. Elliotte Friedman reported on Sportsnet that Edvinsson now prefers a trade, which comes after captain Dylan Larkin's own trade request. Edvinsson is back in Sweden skating with Frolunda while he waits for a deal.

Boston makes sense as a landing spot. The Bruins have reshuffled their roster and could use a young defenseman to build the blue line around. They aren't the only ones, though. David Pagnotta has named Seattle, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto and Nashville as clubs keeping tabs, along with Boston.

What to watch next: if someone moves on the money, he signs and this goes away. If nobody budges and the season starts with Edvinsson still in Sweden, those 10 calls turn into real offers, and Horcoff has to decide whether a former top-6 pick holding out is worth more to Detroit as a trade chip. LeBrun's report is pretty clear that the clock is running against the Wings.