DeBrincat shows faith in Red Wings with long-term contract

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings received much-needed good news Wednesday.

Not only did Alex DeBrincat sign a seven-year, $91 million contract ($13 million average annual value), but the 28-year-old forward called it a "dream come true" to play for his hometown team. He called himself a "Red Wing at heart." He talked about how proud he is to put on the jersey and how happy he is to be in Detroit.

Perhaps most important, he said he wants to be "a part of the solution."

"I really believe in what we're trying to build here," he said.

Another native of the Detroit area, Dylan Larkin said similar things when he signed an eight-year, $69.6 million contract with Detroit on March 2, 2023, but he asked for a trade after last season and hasn’t spoken publicly about where he stands currently.

Perhaps this is a first step in the right direction for Detroit.

DeBrincat had a long list of reasons not to sign right now.

The Red Wings have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 10 straight seasons, the longest drought in their history and the longest active drought in the NHL. Larkin requested a trade after last season. Detroit announced July 15 that Steve Yzerman would transition from general manager to senior adviser.

Amid the uncertainty, forward Patrick Kane left for the Chicago Blackhawks as an unrestricted free agent July 23. Kane is one of DeBrincat's best friends, and they had great chemistry on the ice.

Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM on Sept. 15, but the Red Wings still don't have a permanent leader of hockey operations. Larkin's status is still uncertain. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson, a restricted free agent, is still unsigned. Detroit is off to a 1-3-2 start and last in the Atlantic Division.

DeBrincat led Detroit in goals (41) and points (85) last season, tying his NHL career high in goals and setting an NHL career high in points, and leads the team in goals (four) and points (eight) this season. Since the Red Wings acquired him in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on July 9, 2023, he has scored 111 goals, 13 more than any of his teammates.

He could have waited to see what happens with the GM, Larkin and Edvinsson. He could have tested unrestricted free agency July 1 and probably made even more money, especially with the way the NHL salary cap is rising. He could have asked out like Larkin did, looking for a better chance to win elsewhere.

He didn't.

"We had good communication with both him and his agent early on what our vision was," Horcoff said. "He wanted to know what my plan was for the future of the organization and how we were going to get there, and he was bought-in. He's made a commitment to the organization and what we're doing, to the fans, to the community. He wants to be here. He wants to be a Red Wing for the rest of his life, and we're happy, because that's exactly what we want as well."

Horcoff said DeBrincat "very easily could have tested the market."

"He would have been the premier person available come free agency, and with that comes obviously a lot of leverage," Horcoff said. "That was never a talk with Alex. That was never a threat from Alex. We made it clear that we did not want to even get to that point, that signing him was a priority. He was a massive part of this team and our future and what we're trying to do, and we want to build around him and join him with the other core that we have here."

DeBrincat said testing the market was "never really a question."

"I wanted to be here," he said. "The money's not everything. Obviously, it's nice. But at the same time, what's the extra bit going to do? I knew this was the spot I wanted to be. I'm a Red Wing at heart."

Look, Detroit is home. DeBrincat comes from a family of Red Wings fans. He appreciates the storied century of history of the franchise. That means a lot.

But sometimes players, like Larkin, decide it's time to leave home for whatever reason.

And the key is the future.

"I believe in that group in there, and I think we're a good team," DeBrincat said. "Obviously, (there are) a lot of steps to be taken, but overall, I feel like we're right there, and I feel good about what we have going here."

In the short term, it's a welcome relief for the Red Wings, a respite from the bad news and the boos. DeBrincat led stretching at practice Wednesday and received stick taps from his teammates.

"I think it shows a lot," said forward Lucas Raymond, a 24-year-old alternate captain signed through 2031-32. "He wants to be here. He made that clear. He's a huge piece for us."