Gord's Notebook: Edvinsson wants out, Edmonton shops sideways, Canada needs a GM

Week one is in the books, and the rumor market has already picked its favorite city. It's Detroit, again. Fifteen items this week, and the first four share an area code.

1. Edvinsson went from daily talks to a trade wish in 48 hours. On Thursday, the Red Wings and Simon Edvinsson's camp were talking every day. By Saturday night, Friedman had the unsigned defenseman preferring a trade, with his frustration at the whole situation behind it. Grade: Reported.

The read: I wrote Sunday that Detroit signs him anyway, and I'm not moving. Halloween is still my date. File under: Trade winds.

2. The destination lists are out already. San Jose, St. Louis and Toronto were named as fits within a day, with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Nashville behind them. None of it comes from Detroit, where the line is the same as last week: sign him. Grade: Noise.

The read: any trade needs the new team to finish a contract with a player who's dug in on this one. That shortens every list.

3. What the numbers say: Detroit's blue line is two men deep. Through two games, Moritz Seider is averaging 25.5 minutes and nobody else on that defense is above 20.5, per NHL data. The penalty kill has allowed four goals on eight chances, by our count. Winnipeg scored three of them Sunday.

It's two games, and it's still the best argument Edvinsson's agent has. The Wings are 0-2, both at home. File under: Cap crunch.

4. Larkin: no progress, and no games. Johnston's phrase was "no tangible progress" toward a deal. Dylan Larkin hasn't played yet this season because of an upper-body injury, and the home crowd booed him in the introductions anyway. Grade: Reported.

The read: I had him as a Red Wing through opening night, and I'd stretch that through October. Nobody pays full price for a center who isn't dressing. File under: Trade winds.

5. The Panthers item: Barkov's doctors, not Zito's phone. Aleksander Barkov sees the team's doctors today. That appointment decides whether Larkin-to-Florida is a story or a pastime. Friedman floated Eetu Luostarinen as the piece going back, and Luostarinen has two points in three games on 15.6 minutes a night, by our count.

Grade: Rumbling. If Barkov is expected back this season, Florida gets about $4 million of relief, not his full $10 million. Marcus has the math. The read: weeks means nothing happens. Months means Zito's phone gets busy. File under: Cap crunch.

6. Edmonton is shopping sideways. Friedman's phrase was a "lateral trade," maybe a defenseman for a forward. The Oilers have extra bodies on the back end and a crowd of forwards hurt. He added that the injured forwards aren't expected to miss long. Grade: Reported.

The read: that's a depth swap, not a splash, and nobody in Edmonton is in a hurry. File under: Trade winds.

7. Hellebuyck to Edmonton is dead, and Winnipeg isn't selling for futures. The view out of Edmonton is that the Oilers won't chase him. He costs too much and the ask is too steep. Dreger's word from Winnipeg is that the Jets don't want a futures-driven return. Grade: Reported.

The read: a team that wants NHL players back for a goalie who hasn't reported has a small market. Stuart Skinner is 1-0-1 with a .908 save percentage, and that buys Winnipeg time. My lock stands: he's still a Jet on Sunday. File under: Trade winds.

8. What the numbers say: Edmonton's trouble is in its own end. The Oilers are 2-0-1 with a penalty kill at 57.1 percent. Devon Levi's two wins came with an .810 save percentage, per NHL data. It's a small sample and a loud one.

A lateral move doesn't fix that, and item 7 says the big one isn't coming. File under: Cap crunch.

9. Quinn Hughes is in no rush, and Minnesota has to live with it. LeBrun's line was that nothing gets done "until the player himself says okay," and Hughes hasn't said it. Grade: Reported.

The read: he has a point in both games and plays 25 minutes a night for a 2-0 team, by our count. Every week like that raises the number, and Marcus has the price. The Wild are in Sunrise on Saturday. File under: Extension watch.

10. Crosby, same song. Kyle Dubas said the Penguins "don't feel any pressure to get it done by a certain date." Grade: On the record.

The read: Pittsburgh is 2-0 and has outscored its opponents 13-5. Sidney Crosby has a point in each game. Nobody in that building is nervous. File under: Extension watch.

11. Zacha's number is the problem in Boston. Johnston said getting to the right figure "has proven to be a challenge," and that an unsigned Pavel Zacha could turn into a trade chip. Grade: Reported.

The read: he's without a point through three games at 18.1 minutes a night, by our count. That helps Boston's side of the table more than his. Marcus has the Bruins' sheet. File under: Extension watch.

12. The Canadian-market item: Montreal wanted Marchenko more than Toronto did. LeBrun said Kent Hughes had Columbus "on speed dial" and lost because he didn't have a Knies to send back. Toronto got the player and signed him for six years and $75 million. Grade: Reported.

The read: the Leafs are 1-2, all at home, and one of the losses was to Montreal. In Toronto, that's a full week of radio. They still hold Colorado's first-round pick, and I'd expect it to go for a defenseman. File under: Trade winds.

13. Team Canada has four names for one chair, or two. LeBrun has Hockey Canada interviewing Kyle Dubas, Julien BriseBois, Jim Nill and Don Sweeney around the November GM meetings. All four worked under Doug Armstrong at the Olympics.

Still open: one GM for the 2028 World Cup and the 2030 Olympics, or one for each. Grade: Reported. The read: split the jobs and two men audition against each other for two years. Pick one. After last week in Tenerife, Hockey Canada could use a single clear voice. File under: Team Canada.

14. Four coaches are on expiring deals. After extensions for Bednar, St. Louis, Hynes and Warsofsky, the list is Joel Quenneville, Scott Arniel, Rick Bowness and Andrew Brunette. LeBrun expects Quenneville's to get done and thinks Arniel may have to coach through the year first. Grade: Reported.

The read: Arniel is the one to watch, because item 7 is his goalie. File under: Hot seat.

15. Housekeeping. Calgary is 0-3 and has been outscored 16-3, by our count. That's how October gets long in a Canadian market. Ottawa's Jake Sanderson left Saturday's win in Toronto after 4.5 minutes, and Travis Green called himself "a little bit concerned."

St. Louis loses Alexey Toropchenko for at least six weeks. Pittsburgh waived David Gustafsson. Boston waived Mikey Eyssimont, and Sully has the fallout. Bettman's no-trade complaint is still an opening bid.

The Panthers are in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Barkov's file comes first, and the Notebook picks it up next Monday.