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Red Wings sign Alex DeBrincat to seven-year, $91 million extension

The Red Wings have signed Farmington Hills native Alex DeBrincat to a seven-year, $91 million extension that makes him the team’s highest-paid player starting in 2027-28.

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The Detroit Red Wings have signed Alex DeBrincat to a seven-year, $91 million contract extension, keeping the Farmington Hills native in Detroit through the 2033-34 season.

The deal carries a $13 million cap hit and begins in 2027-28, after DeBrincat finishes the final year of his current four-year, $31.5 million contract. The new cap hit makes him the highest-paid player on the roster, ahead of Dylan Larkin’s $8.7 million. Seven years is the longest extension a team can now give its own player under the new collective bargaining agreement that took effect in September.

The signing came together after Tuesday’s 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey at Little Caesars Arena, a game in which DeBrincat scored twice and added an assist. He leads the Red Wings with four goals and eight points through six games.

Contract details

  • Term: Seven years, 2027-28 through 2033-34
  • Total value: $91 million ($13 million cap hit)
  • Salary structure: $15 million in 2027-28, $12.93 million in each of the next five seasons, and $11.35 million in 2033-34
  • Trade protection: Full no-trade clause in years one through four, then modified no-trade protection in years five through seven, per PuckPedia
  • Expiry: Unrestricted free agent in 2034, at age 36

Why it matters for Detroit

DeBrincat has been the most dependable piece of the lineup since Detroit acquired him from Ottawa in July 2023. He has not missed a game since the 2021-22 season, and he has 111 goals and 230 points in 252 games with the Red Wings. Last season he tied his career high with 41 goals and set a new career best with 85 points. Across 702 NHL games with Chicago, Ottawa, and Detroit, he has 298 goals and 603 points.

The extension is the first major contract of interim general manager Shawn Horcoff’s tenure, and it lands during a turbulent stretch. Steve Yzerman is out as GM, Larkin has asked for a trade and no longer wears the “C,” and restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned. Locking up DeBrincat gives the Red Wings a long-term scoring anchor while the rest of the roster picture is unsettled.

Detroit is 1-3-2 and hosts Philadelphia on Thursday.

Sources

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