The Toronto Maple Leafs may have just been handed an opportunity that rarely appears on the NHL trade market: a 23-year-old, 6-foot-6 defenceman with legitimate top-pair upside who reportedly prefers a change of scenery.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Simon Edvinsson now prefers a trade from the Detroit Red Wings after months of contract uncertainty. Detroit, importantly, has not indicated it wants to move him. Friedman reported that the Red Wings continue telling teams their first priority is signing Edvinsson.
There is also no credible report yet that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are actively negotiating an Edvinsson trade. Toronto has instead emerged as one of the potential destinations being discussed around the rumor market, and the fit is difficult to ignore. The Maple Leafs have already shown under general manager John Chayka that they are willing to make dramatic roster changes, and adding Edvinsson would address something Toronto cannot easily manufacture internally: a young, physically imposing defenceman who could become part of the club’s core for years.
For me, that is what makes this Simon Edvinsson trade rumor much more interesting than simply asking whether Detroit will eventually give in.
The better question is whether Toronto should force the Red Wings to make a decision.
Why Simon Edvinsson Makes So Much Sense for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Edvinsson is not some reclamation project being discussed because he wants a larger role.
He is already playing one.
The former sixth-overall pick produced nine goals and 25 points in 72 games last season while averaging 22:21 per game, second among Detroit defencemen behind Moritz Seider. He finished the season plus-12 and has accumulated 60 points through 175 NHL games.
At 23, he is also almost the exact type of defenceman Toronto’s roster is missing.
PuckPedia currently lists Toronto’s established defence group with Darren Raddysh at 30, Morgan Rielly at 32, Jake McCabe at 32, Chris Tanev at 36, Oliver Ekman-Larsson at 35, Nick Blankenburg at 28 and Troy Stecher at 32. Toronto isn’t necessarily weak on defence, but its blue line is heavily tilted toward veterans.
Edvinsson would immediately change that age curve.
He is a left-shot defenceman with reach, mobility and enough offensive ability to move the puck rather than simply survive difficult defensive minutes. Toronto wouldn’t be trading for a player to patch a hole through April. It would potentially be acquiring someone who could play beside its best players for the next six or seven seasons.
That’s why I think John Chayka at least has to make the phone call.
Simon Edvinsson’s Development Is More Important Than His Raw Point Total
The offensive numbers don’t scream elite defenceman, but looking only at points undersells what Edvinsson has become.
Here is the recent scoring trajectory:
Simon Edvinsson — 3-Year Scoring Trend
The bigger signal is responsibility. Detroit was already entrusting Edvinsson with more than 22 minutes a night. That is not development-league projection anymore. It is NHL evidence that he can handle significant usage.
And that is why the Detroit Red Wings cannot simply move him for futures and call it a day.
What Would a Maple Leafs Trade for Simon Edvinsson Actually Cost?
This is where the idea becomes difficult for Toronto.
Detroit drafted Edvinsson sixth overall in 2021. He is only 23, remains under team control as a restricted free agent and already plays major minutes. A trade request, or preference for a trade, does not suddenly erase that value.
Toronto also isn’t swimming in premium draft capital. PuckPedia currently shows the Leafs holding the Colorado Avalanche’s 2027 first-round pick but no 2028 first-rounder, while they again own a first in 2029.
That means Detroit would have every reason to push for a package built around the 2027 first-round pick plus a premium young asset, especially if multiple clubs become serious. Think Easton Cowan.
Here is how I currently value Edvinsson using the NHLTradeRumor.com Trade Value Index:
NHLTradeRumor.com Trade Value Index
My view: a first-round pick alone does not get this done.
If Detroit actually reaches the point where it is willing to listen, I would expect the Red Wings to seek a first-round-calibre asset, another high-upside young player and possibly a roster component depending on how many teams are bidding.
The Leafs would also have to be very careful about which young pieces they sacrifice. The whole point of adding Edvinsson would be making Toronto younger, not trading away every young NHL player on the roster to get him.
Could Toronto Afford Simon Edvinsson’s Next Contract?
This is the other major obstacle.
The NHL’s 2026-27 salary cap is $104 million. We currently list Toronto with $7 million in current cap space, although that figure exists within an LTIR structure that includes an $11.69-million LTIR pool. Toronto is also sitting at 50 of 50 standard player contracts.
AFP Analytics‘ contract projection has Edvinsson at approximately seven years and $8.78 million per season. Separate reporting has suggested Edvinsson could be seeking a maximum-length deal in roughly the $9-million-to-$11-million AAV range depending on term.
That means a trade cannot simply be about acquisition cost.
Toronto would also have to solve the contract.
Maple Leafs–Edvinsson Salary Cap Calculator
That actually makes an Edvinsson trade more fascinating.
Chayka couldn’t simply win the auction. He would need to build an entire transaction around both trade value and salary-cap mechanics.
The Biggest Change in the Simon Edvinsson Story
One element shouldn’t be overlooked.
As recently as mid-September, reporting out of Sweden indicated Edvinsson was comfortable remaining with Detroit and wasn’t interested in pursuing an offer sheet elsewhere. He even attended Red Wings training camp without a signed contract and participated in non-contact work while negotiations continued.
Then the negotiations continued to stall.
Edvinsson returned to Sweden. And now Friedman reports he would prefer a trade. That progression tells me this isn’t ordinary September RFA posturing anymore.
It doesn’t guarantee Edvinsson gets moved. Detroit still controls the situation contractually and continues to prioritize signing him. But every day that passes without an agreement creates additional pressure on interim GM Shawn Horcoff.
And every additional team that calls creates another possibility.
For Toronto, that’s enough reason to stay involved.
My Take: Toronto Should Be Calling Detroit Right Now
Would I trade an enormous collection of premium young assets for Simon Edvinsson? No. Would I aggressively explore what Detroit actually wants? Absolutely.
Players with Edvinsson’s combination of age, size, draft pedigree, NHL experience and top-pair potential almost never become realistically available at 23.
Toronto’s current defence can still compete, but its age profile makes long-term planning impossible to ignore. Adding Edvinsson would potentially give the Maple Leafs a defenceman who is entering his prime while much of their existing group is moving toward the other end of its career.
The caution is price.
Detroit has no reason to sell low simply because Edvinsson prefers a trade. The Red Wings can continue negotiating and wait. If San Jose, St. Louis, Toronto or another club becomes serious, Horcoff could eventually have multiple offers to compare. Toronto has been mentioned among the logical destinations, but there is currently no verified evidence that the Maple Leafs have made an offer.
That’s the line I would watch next.
If credible reporting emerges that John Chayka has actually contacted Detroit about Simon Edvinsson, this story immediately moves from an intriguing fit to one of the NHL’s biggest potential early-season blockbusters.
For now, the possibility alone should have the Maple Leafs interested.
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