The Detroit Red Wings are finalizing a seven-year contract extension with forward Alex DeBrincat. The deal carries a $13 million average annual value, keeping the hometown player with the team through the 2033-2034 season.
The Detroit Red Wings are finalizing a seven-year contract extension with forward Alex DeBrincat. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the deal carries a $13 million average annual value (AAV), totaling $91 million over the length of the contract. The agreement is set to expire after the 2033-2034 season.
The extension replaces DeBrincat’s current four-year deal, which had a $7.875 million AAV and was set to end after the 2026-27 season. The new contract includes a no-trade clause for the first four years, which converts to a limited no-trade clause for years five through seven, according to The Athletic.
DeBrincat, a Farmington Hills, Mich., native, has been vocal about his desire to stay with the Red Wings. "I love playing for the Red Wings. I love wearing that jersey and battling with those guys out there," DeBrincat said at the NHL player media tour this summer. "My intention is obviously to stay in Detroit. We’ll see what happens, I guess."
DeBrincat enters the 2026-27 season coming off a 2025-26 campaign in which he recorded 41 goals and 44 assists for 85 points in 82 games. He became only the fourth Red Wings player to score 40 goals in the salary cap era. Through the first six games of the current season, he has four goals and eight points.
The Red Wings have struggled early in the 2026-27 season, holding a 1-3-2 record. The team is also navigating other roster changes, including a trade request from former captain Dylan Larkin and contract negotiations with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson. Steve Yzerman stepped down as general manager in July to become a senior advisor, with Shawn Horcoff serving as interim general manager.
The $13 million AAV makes DeBrincat the highest-paid player on the Red Wings by salary cap hit. His current $7.875 million cap hit accounts for 7.57% of the team's total salary. When the new contract begins, the $13 million hit will represent 11.4% of the team's salary, assuming the salary cap rises to $113.5 million as projected.
DeBrincat was originally drafted by Chicago in the second round of the 2016 draft. He joined Detroit in a July 2023 trade with the Ottawa Senators, which sent Dominik Kubalík, Donovan Sebrango, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 fourth-rounder to Ottawa. In 702 career games, DeBrincat has recorded 298 goals and 603 points.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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