Alex DeBrincat Signs a $91 Million Contract with the Red Wings

Wow.

Big news in the National Hockey League.

While everything's been a mess in Detroit for the past few weeks… we're learning today that Alex DeBrincat has signed a (new) $91 million contract with the Red Wings.

Despite Detroit's tough 5-4 overtime loss to New Jersey, there appears to be an important off-ice victory for the Red Wings.

Word is the team and Alex DeBrincat are closing in on an extension worth approximately 7 x $13M

They needed some good news and are about to get it.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 14, 2026

The seven-year contract will pay the small forward an average of $13 million per year. That's a lot.

However…

It's important to remember that DeBrincat was in the final year of his current contract. He had been earning $7.875 million per season (since the start of the '23–'24 season).

He'll therefore receive a nice pay raise under his next contract. Good for him!

Alex DeBrincat is a key player in Detroit: he finished last season with 85 points (including 41 goals) and is one of the Red Wings' offensive powerhouses.

The team wanted to keep him, and the offer—$13 million per season—was perhaps too good for DeBrincat to turn down. He cashed in, and his financial future is (more than) secure.

What's surprising about the announcement?

It's the fact that the Red Wings aren't going anywhere… and the fact that Dylan Larkin's situation is drawing attention for reasons that aren't necessarily positive. The team has struggled to win for several years, and that's why, deep down, it's surprising in a way to see DeBrincat commit to Detroit for seven more years.

But if that's what he wanted, no one in Michigan will have any reason to complain.

Because at just 28 years old, DeBrincat can be part of the Red Wings' long-term plans.

Extension

Now…

Does this change anything for management in Detroit?

Larkin wants to leave, and we know that. But by making sure to keep DeBrincat in town, the club will have no choice but to properly support the team's stars… and that could have an impact on the organization's demands regarding the former Wings captain.