Detroit Red Wings Alex DeBrincat believes everything worked out for the best after a much-publicized exit from the Ottawa Senators this past summer.
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“No, I never asked for a trade,” DeBrincat told The Athletic. “I said I wasn’t going to sign long-term. And they took that as writing on the wall.”
If you are refusing to sign, aren't you saying you won't stay? Isn't that the "writing on the wall"?
Most teams won't play out the last year with a UFA, so it's usually a no brainer that you're getting dealt if you won't sign.