Detroit Backs Up the Brinks Truck for Alex DeBrincat Amid Winless Start

The Detroit Red Wings just handed Alex DeBrincat a seven-year extension with a $13 million cap hit, proving that sometimes the best way to distract from an 0-3 start is to back up the Brinks truck.

According to PuckPedia and initially reported by Elliotte Friedman, the 28-year-old forward is getting paid like a franchise savior. The deal is front-loaded with a $15 million salary in year one, before settling into the $12.93 million range for the middle five years.

"First reported by Elliotte Friedman and detailed by PuckPedia"

For context, $13 million against the cap is the kind of money you give a guy who single-handedly drags your team to the playoffs, not just a guy who looks good in red. Detroit also handed him a full no-trade clause for the first four years, meaning he is not going anywhere unless he explicitly asks to leave.

The timing of this massive payday is objectively hilarious. Detroit is currently sitting at 0-3 after dropping games to the Seattle Kraken, Montreal Canadiens, and New Jersey Devils. They have been outscored 12-7 in that stretch, including a brutal 1-0 shutout loss in Montreal.

If you are looking at NHL futures, tying up this much cap space in one winger is a massive swing for a front office that desperately needs to show progress. It makes building out the rest of the roster a mathematical nightmare if the current core cannot string together some wins.

DeBrincat and the Red Wings will try to actually win a hockey game when they host the Philadelphia Flyers next. At least now, if they lose, DeBrincat can dry his tears with a $15 million direct deposit.