Ever since the Edmonton Oilers lost in the last round of the playoffs, Connor McDavid rumors have been the subject of much discussion. Is he going to wait to become a free agent after the 2025-26 season? And, if so, where will he go? There are at least 10 NHL teams that could afford McDavid’s projected $20 million new contract. That is… IF he decides to leave Edmonton. There have been no contract discussions as of yet, and McDavid seems to be in no rush to resolve the situation.
No doubt, the Habs would love to add McDavid to their young and talented roster. Cole Caufield had 37 goals and 33 assists last season. Nick Suzuki had 30 goals and 59 assists. Their offense would be explosive if McDavid were added. They were 17th in goals scored last season with a 2.96 average per game. Yet, it seems unlikely that McDavid would be headed to Montreal.
The Kings were 14th in scoring, coming in with 3.04 goals scored per game. It would be a dream come true for Kings fans to see a repeat of when Wayne Gretzky was traded to LA back in 1996. With Anze Kopitar turning 38 next month and his contract expiring, it would seem he may retire. Who better to replace him in LA than McDavid?
Much would depend on the future of Artemi Panarin. His $11.6 million contract must be considered. If Panarin stays, the $29.6 million cap space the Rangers possess will be decreased to a point where adding McDavid’s possible $20 million cap hit will make it impossible to navigate. Let’s see Panarin or McDavid… tough choice.
Now this possibility is intriguing. Adding McDavid to the powerful Vegas lineup, who just signed Mitch Marner to a whooping eight-year $12 million AAV deal, is crazy. Yet, Vegas almost always gets its man. Imagine a lineup consisting of McDavid, Marner, Mark Stone, and Jack Eichel. Might as well get their names engraved on the Cup.
Depending on what the outcome is for Jason Robertson, adding McDavid along with Mikko Rantanen would give the Stars some bang for sure. The Stars already had the third-best offense last season. With McDavid’s offensive production, the Stars would be in a Cup Final… finally. Ironically, they have lost to the Oilers in the last two Western Conference Finals. McDavid could change that.
Just try to picture a line consisting of McDavid, Nikita Kucherov, and Jake Guentzel. Go ahead, I dare you. Talk about unstoppable. The Lightning know how to win. Over the last six seasons, they have hoisted the Cup twice in a row (2019-20, 2020-21), lost the Cup Final ( 2021-22), and have been eliminated in the first round since then. Do you think they want to win? Going after McDavid would guarantee it.
Let’s see Connor McDavid AND Auston Matthews? And don’t forget McDavid hails from the Toronto area. Whether that would factor into him possibly going to the Leafs is pure speculation. Again, the star power created by including McDavid in a Leafs jersey would send the Leafs’ fans into orbit. It would also make the Leafs an instant Cup favorite.
The one-two punch of Nathan MacKinnon and McDavid would give opposing defenses nightmares. The speed alone of those two NHL superstars would be a thing of beauty to witness. The problem for the Avs would be cap space. If they gave Connor McDavid his $20 million, they would have just $6 million remaining to sign other players. Yet, the magical picture of these two great players on the same team would be magnificent to see.
The Canes are still hurting after not keeping Rantanen, but have added some key pieces to their arsenal. They acquired Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller over the summer, and they still have over $10 million in cap space. Granted, some roster moves would need to be made to afford McDavid’s contract, but it would be well worth it. The Canes have been to the Eastern Conference Final twice in the last three years. Adding McDavid, if it can be worked out, would solidify their quest for the Cup.
The Bruins need to do something to become relevant again. They had a horrible season, and recovering from it will take time. If you had McDavid lined up with David Pastrnak and rising star Morgan Geekie, it would go a long way in getting the Boston club competitive again.
They will have $44.98 million in cap space to satisfy McDavid’s contract requirements. Certainly, all the listed teams here would love to have McDavid’s skills added to their team. His career totals while in Edmonton speak for themselves. He has played 712 games, scored 361 goals, and 721 assists.
Yet, he has played his entire career in Edmonton, and there is no reason to believe he will be leaving. The money will be there. I think he wants to prove that the Oilers can win a Cup. They have come close the last two seasons, but came up dry with the whirlwind Florida Panthers winning it all.
I also think he will NOT sign a long-term contract, much like Matthews did in Toronto. A four-year deal worth $19-$20 million AAV seems to be ideal for both parties.
What could happen is that he may just want to see if his Oilers team can win a championship before committing to a long-term deal. Let’s face it, he has all the cards in his hand.
Much has been stated about Connor McDavid’s future. It is up to him where he decides to continue his illustrious NHL career. One thing is certain… wherever he plays, he will dominate the game as he has for the last 10 seasons. In those 10 seasons, he has scored 100 or more points in eight of them! He is an Edmonton Oiler and will remain as one.
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