r/nhltraderumours

With all the rumors that Simon Edvinsson wants out of Detroit, I think Kyle Davidson should be all over this situation.

Edvinsson was drafted 6th overall in 2021 and has developed into exactly the type of defenseman the Blackhawks are missing. He's 6'6", skates exceptionally well for his size, can move the puck, play heavy defensive minutes, and match up against top competition every night. His defense is the needle mover.

What makes him so valuable isn't the offense. It's the defensive game. A game the Hawks sorely lack.

Edvinsson uses his reach, size, and gap control to kill plays before they become dangerous. He defends entries extremely well, plays a physical game without running around chasing hits, and has established himself as a legitimate shutdown defenseman. Those players aren't easy to find, especially at 23 years old.

The puck-moving ability is underrated too. He's the type of defenseman who can help a team spend less time defending and more time attacking. Which is missing on the Hawks backend.

So what's the cost?

Probably something close to what Calgary paid for Simon Nemec: two 1sts, a 2nd, and a prospect/player. That's not cheap, but elite young defensemen never are.

The Hawks also have a surplus of young defensemen. Someone is eventually getting squeezed out. If I'm Davidson, I'm absolutely willing to move Wyatt Kaiser, a 1st, a 2nd, and another quality prospect if that's what it takes.

Then your defense suddenly looks like:

Byram - Levshunov
Vlasic - Edvinsson
Cole - Rinzel

That's a pretty ridiculous blend of size, mobility, and defensive ability.

The next question is the contract.

Edvinsson is probably looking for something in the neighborhood of $8-10 million AAV on a long-term deal. Under the new cap, that's simply what young top-pair defensemen cost.

The other interesting option is still Alexander Nikishin, who is reportedly looking for a similar payday. Don't look now but the Canes are really missing him already this season. Personally, I'd be pursuing both situations aggressively because true top-pair defensemen rarely become available at 23 years old.

Let's hope Detroit doesn't solve its problem by sending Edvinsson somewhere like Carolina for a 1-for-1 swap involving Nikishin.

Oilers Coach Mike Babcock on the Ducks

“His team’s gonna play fast. He’s got a bunch of young players with size and speed and skill.”

He says he knows Q well “we worked together a bunch of times, and he’s a good man” and has a clear idea of what Anaheim brought in last spring’s playoffs.

With today’s lineup, he says they can’t simply “race up and down the rink and hope to have success.” Instead, the approach has to be a “forechecking track game” and taking care of the puck.

“If we want to race up and down the rink, it’s not gonna go our way.”