Detroit Red Wings Future Uncertain As Alex DeBrincat Signs Seven-Year Extension

News came out of Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday morning, as the Detroit Red Wings made the Alex DeBrincat signing official. DeBrincat has signed a seven-year extension worth an average annual value of $13 million. That is the biggest contract in franchise history, as the prices for top-end players continue to climb at a quick rate. Let us discuss the contract and what it means for Detroit.

Alex DeBrincat Signing Holds Decent Value, Many Questions Remain

To begin with, this is fair market value for DeBrincat. As a three-time, 40-goal scorer and a player who scores more goals than records assists, a comparison on the market could be Pavel Dorofeyev , who the New York Rangers signed to a seven-year contract worth $11 million per season . DeBrincat could be seen as a more well-rounded Dorofeyev, as he does more than just finish plays. He can break the puck out of the defensive zone at a solid rate and also make plays off the rush well. According to Corey Sznajder, based on his analytics from All Three Zones , DeBrincat ranked in the 95th percentile for zone exits last season, as reported by The Athletic.

DeBrincat will have a no-trade clause for the first four years of his contract, and then a modified no-trade clause for the last three years.

Red Wings Clearly Have No Intention to Tear It Down

The Red Wings have been in a state of turmoil, from Dylan Larkin's trade request to the drawn-out contract situation regarding Simon Edvinsson . However, given the proactiveness in signing DeBrincat early on in the season, it tells us that Detroit does not want to take a step back. This contract was definitely a telltale sign that there is still belief from management that this team can be competitive, especially with players like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider locked up long-term.

However, the key is that Detroit has to get its ducks in a row quickly to maximize DeBrincat's value. He will almost be 30 years old by the time the new contract kicks in, meaning his prime years could come to an end rather early in his contract. The team cannot afford to shoot itself in the foot as it did with the Larkin and Edvinsson situations. The locker room needs to be clear of any and all distractions to be successful.

Can the Red Wings turn things around? Management certainly believes so. It all depends on how the Larkin and Edvinsson situations resolve themselves. Perhaps Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff did not want to have another tough situation on his hands, so he got the DeBrincat signing done early. This move could pay off, but if the team does not end up improving within the next year or two, this move could also stall an underlying need to retool or, worse, rebuild. Time will tell how this contract pans out.

Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images