In this edition of NHL Rumours, there is uncertainty over what the Detroit Red Wings may do with star forward Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat’s contract status is murky going into 2026-27, as the Red Wings have yet to look like a playoff team. For DeBrincat, he’ll have one more year left on his deal in 2026-27, but whether the Red Wings decide to extend him beyond then is a burning question they’ll need to answer.
NHL Rumours and Alex DeBrincat’s Contract with the Detroit Red Wings
Rumour: Matt Marchese and Mike Futa discuss what the Red Wings may do with Alex DeBrincat on The FAN Hockey Show.
Analysis: If the Red Wings ended up trading DeBrincat or ultimately let him walk in 2027, they would need to find a way to replace a 39-goal scorer.
Alex DeBrincat and the Red Wings Have a Big Decision to Make
If you’re Alex DeBrincat and you’re going into your age-29 season in 2026-27, you need to ask whether Detroit’s the right place to keep playing. Sure, DeBrincat is a local product who grew up near Detroit. But he’s in the thick of his prime and hasn’t played in the postseason since 2020 when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Credit Image: © Kirthmon F. Dozier/Detroit Free Press via ZUMA Press Wire
Since arriving in Detroit, DeBrincat has been outstanding. With 82 points and 39 goals, DeBrincat has officially hit his first point-per-game season since 2021. But after watching the Red Wings collapse for the third-straight season, nobody would blame DeBrincat if he decided to keep playing hockey elsewhere in 2027 and beyond.
There’s even talk of whether the Wings could trade DeBrincat, even if Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet finds it highly unlikely. Friedman said, “The first thing you do when you trade a guy like Alex DeBrincat is you say ‘uh-oh, where do we find 39 goals now?”
If DeBrincat is willing to continue his career in Hockeytown, he’s not taking a hometown discount. With the salary cap increasing and DeBrincat’s elite performance this season, it creates a perfect storm for an eight-figure average annual value. That would make DeBrincat the highest paid player on the Red Wings, and would heighten the urgency in Detroit
Extending Alex DeBrincat Would Guarantee a Retool in Detroit
For three years, the Red Wings have come close to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And unless everything goes right for the Wings over their final four games, for three years, they’ll have fallen short. With hardly anyone bringing a physical brand of hockey, energy, or urgency down the stretch, the Yzerplan has no choice but to dramatically speed up.
You don’t extend a player before, during, or even slightly after their age-29 season to a probable long-term eight-figure AAV and expect to keep playing bad hockey in March and April. That means more seasoned veterans who can produce must come into the lineup.
The upside is that a DeBrincat extension means the Red Wings are committed to earning a quick playoff berth. It could mean dishing off a high-end prospect as part of a trade for a productive veteran, but an extension this summer or even in 2026-27 would invigorate a strong contingent of the fans.
Not Extending DeBrincat Puts a Massive Question Mark Beside the Red Wings
Here’s the reality, the Wings are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the tenth straight season. Seven of those seasons have seen Steve Yzerman at general manager. For the last three seasons, Detroit has proven it can’t win when the stakes increase.
If the Wings don’t extend DeBrincat this summer or at any point leading to the 2027 trade deadline, a trade becomes likely if the Wings aren’t in playoff contention. Even without an extension this summer, fans and the media will ask “what do the Red Wings end up doing with DeBrincat?”
While that question is speculative now and part of the usual NHL Rumours cycle, there are “what if” rumblings, the Red Wings can put those questions to sleep if they extend DeBrincat shortly after he becomes eligible. It would also erase a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club. Expect DeBrincat’s potential extension to be one of the bigger stories surrounding the Red Wings this summer. Especially if they ultimately miss the playoffs.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
