The Detroit Red Wings are closing in on a seven-year extension for Alex DeBrincat that would carry a $13-million average annual value, a major commitment to one of their top forwards as the club tries to steady itself early in the 2026-27 season.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the contract update, with the deal described as nearing completion rather than formally signed. That detail matters because DeBrincat just turned in another strong night Tuesday, scoring two goals and adding an assist in an overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils that left Detroit at 1-3-2.
DeBrincat has four goals and eight points through the first six games, a pace that underscores why Detroit is moving to lock him in now. He followed a 2025-26 season in which he finished with 41 goals and 44 assists in 82 games, production that put him firmly among the club’s most important scorers.
The timing is notable. Detroit is in the middle of a season that has already brought changes behind the scenes, with Steve Yzerman stepping down in July and Shawn Horcoff taking over as interim general manager. Even so, the club is prepared to make a long-term bet on a player who arrived from the Ottawa Senators in July 2023 and has become central to what the Red Wings want to be.
There is still one piece missing from the public picture: whether the extension has been formally signed or is simply waiting on the final step. What is clear is the direction. Detroit appears ready to tie up DeBrincat for the long run, and after Tuesday’s result, that commitment lands as both a reward for his start and a warning about how much the team is asking him to carry.
