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The Boston Bruins have emerged as a serious potential destination for Simon Edvinsson, with TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger indicating Boston may be more interested in acquiring the Detroit Red Wings defenseman than former captain Dylan Larkin.
Speaking on TSN’s OverDrive on November 3, Dreger identified Boston as a club that would welcome an Edvinsson deal. The reported interest is significant, but no trade agreement has been announced, and Detroit continues to pursue a contract with the unsigned restricted free agent.
The 23-year-old defenseman has yet to play in the 2026–27 NHL season, with a December 1 signing deadline approaching. Dreger also placed the potential value of a long-term Edvinsson contract in the neighbourhood of $9 million annually, adding another financial consideration for interested teams.
For Boston, the appeal is understandable. Edvinsson could become a long-term defensive partner for Charlie McAvoy. But acquiring him would require more than an attractive trade package. The Bruins would also need to resolve a salary-cap problem, while convincing a division rival to surrender one of its most valuable young players.
What Darren Dreger Reported About the Bruins and Simon Edvinsson
Dreger’s comments on Tuesday provided a more specific assessment of Boston’s priorities.
According to NBC Sports Boston’s November 4 coverage, Dreger stated:
“Boston would love to make a deal for Simon Edvinsson, probably more so than Dylan Larkin.”
That distinction matters because Boston has been linked to both Detroit players.
Larkin, 30, is an established NHL centre who has requested a trade, while Edvinsson represents a different kind of acquisition: a 6-foot-6, left-shot defenseman who could become part of Boston’s foundation for years.
There is another important difference. Larkin’s trade protection restricts Detroit’s available destinations. Edvinsson, as an unsigned restricted free agent, presents a contract negotiation challenge instead.
Dreger’s comments establish Boston’s reported interest, but they do not confirm that the Bruins have submitted a new offer or that Detroit has agreed to trade Edvinsson.
Why Boston Could View Edvinsson as a Long-Term Partner for McAvoy
The strongest argument for Boston pursuing Edvinsson comes from his age, physical attributes and established NHL workload.
During the 2025–26 season, Edvinsson recorded nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in 72 games. More importantly, he averaged 22:21 of ice time, second among Detroit defensemen behind Moritz Seider, according to NHL.com.
Those numbers suggest a player who has already been trusted with significant responsibilities rather than a prospect still waiting for his opportunity.
Boston’s October 27 defensive alignment featured Hampus Lindholm alongside Charlie McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov with Will Borgen, and Frederic Brunet with Mason Lohrei.
Adding Edvinsson could eventually allow Boston to build around an Edvinsson–McAvoy top pairing while redistributing minutes throughout the remaining defensive group. That pairing is an NHLTradeRumor.com hypothetical lineup projection, not a combination reported by Dreger.
The challenge is what Boston would have to surrender to create that opportunity.
A rebuilding or retooling Detroit organization may have little interest in exchanging a 23-year-old, established top-four defenseman for an assortment of distant draft selections. The Red Wings would need assets that address an important organizational need.
Boston must therefore consider whether acquiring Edvinsson would justify sacrificing the young players or draft capital it might otherwise use to pursue a top-line centre.
The $9 Million Contract Question Changes Boston’s Trade Calculations
Dreger’s estimated contract value deserves attention because it differs from another previously reported figure.
On October 21, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported that Edvinsson was believed to be seeking approximately $11 million annually on a seven-year contract.
Dreger’s November 3 comments placed the value of a potential long-term agreement closer to $9 million annually.
These are different reported estimates, not proof that Edvinsson has lowered his asking price. No revised demand or agreed contract has been independently established.
Nevertheless, the distinction has significant implications for Boston.
According to PuckPedia’s Boston Bruins salary-cap figures, checked November 4, the club has approximately $6.44 million in projected cap space for 2026–27.
A hypothetical $9 million Edvinsson contract would exceed that projected space by approximately $2.56 million before accounting for outgoing contracts or other roster changes. At $11 million, the difference increases to approximately $4.56 million.
NHLTradeRumor.com | Cap Analysis
Can Boston Afford Simon Edvinsson?
Two reported contract valuations create different roster-building challenges.
| Illustrative AAV | Cap gap* |
|---|---|
| $9M (Dreger valuation) | $2.56M |
| $11M (reported ask) | $4.56M |
*Simplified gap = assumed annual cap hit minus $6,440,361 in projected space. No salary moved out and no other roster changes assumed. Not a formal cap-compliance determination. Source: PuckPedia, checked Nov. 4, 2026. Valuations: Dreger (Nov. 3) and Pagnotta (Oct. 21). Neither figure is an agreed contract.
Those calculations do not establish whether a transaction would receive cap approval. Actual cap compliance depends on the signing date, roster construction, accrued space and other applicable adjustments.
They do establish one important point: Boston cannot assess Edvinsson’s acquisition cost simply by examining Detroit’s asking price. The Bruins would need to manage both the trade return and the resulting contract.
Why Detroit Still Has the Stronger Reason to Keep Edvinsson
The Bruins may be interested, but Detroit has not publicly abandoned its goal of signing Edvinsson.
On October 14, Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff told NHL.com that he had no interest in trading the young defenseman.
Horcoff emphasized Detroit’s investment in developing Edvinsson and his importance to the organization’s future.
That position is consistent with what the Red Wings would lose.
Edvinsson and Seider give Detroit the potential foundation for a defensive core built around two relatively young NHL players capable of handling significant minutes. Trading Edvinsson would leave a substantial vacancy that Detroit would have to address through another acquisition or internal development.
There is also growing competition.
San Jose has reportedly held substantive trade discussions with Detroit. NHLTradeRumor.com previously examined the Sharks’ interest and the challenge of constructing an acceptable return.
Dreger mentioned San Jose and Michael Misa during his OverDrive appearance, but there is no verified report that the Sharks have offered Misa to Detroit.
For Boston, that means the issue is not simply identifying a desirable player. It is determining whether the Bruins have an acceptable package without significantly weakening another area of their future roster.
What Happens Before Simon Edvinsson’s December 1 Deadline?
Edvinsson must sign an NHL contract by December 1 to be eligible to play during the 2026–27 season.
That deadline creates a concrete decision point, but it does not require Detroit to trade him.
Three developments are worth monitoring: whether Detroit and Edvinsson resume meaningful contract discussions, whether Boston’s reported interest develops into a specific offer, and whether another club presents the young talent Detroit would require to consider a deal.
The distinction between reported interest and a completed transaction remains essential.
From NHLTradeRumor.com’s perspective, Boston’s reported preference for Edvinsson over Larkin is significant because it reveals a potential shift in the type of long-term investment the Bruins are considering.
But the decisive issue belongs to Detroit. The Red Wings must determine whether any available trade return would be more valuable than keeping Edvinsson as part of their defensive foundation.
Until that decision changes, the Bruins remain an interested potential destination, not Edvinsson’s next team.
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