DETROIT, Mich. — The Detroit Red Wings made Alex DeBrincat the highest-paid player in franchise history Wednesday, sealing a seven-year extension worth $91 million that keeps the Farmington Hills product in the winged wheel through the heart of his prime.
The deal carries a $13 million average annual value and starts next season. DeBrincat is finishing a four-year pact signed in July 2023 and would have hit unrestricted free agency after this campaign.
Last season he set career highs with 85 points, including 41 goals and 44 assists in 82 games. Through six games this fall he already has eight points, with four goals and four assists, including a two-goal night in Tuesday’s overtime loss to New Jersey.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff had called re-signing DeBrincat a priority when he took over after Steve Yzerman shifted into a senior adviser role. Horcoff said Wednesday the forward’s scoring is elite but that his competitiveness and daily approach matter even more to the club.
Coach Todd McLellan cast DeBrincat as a model for younger players, pointing to consistent effort and a refusal to accept soft nights. The contract includes a full no-trade clause for the first four years and a modified clause for the final three.
Detroit is 1-3-2 to open the season amid a rocky stretch that has included a trade request from captain Dylan Larkin and unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson returning to Sweden. Locking up DeBrincat gives the front office a clear win as the club plays out of Little Caesars Arena.
