Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid have been tied at the hip throughout their NHL careers so far, as first-overall picks, superstars, and now captains of two big Canadian-market teams in the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers.
Both have delivered by putting up massive numbers and enjoying tremendous regular-season success. Neither, however, has achieved the ultimate goal of winning a Stanley Cup, and with Matthews and McDavid’s contracts lining up to expire in 2028, Cabbie Richards is wondering whether they could look to do so by joining forces south of the border to create what he calls a potential superteam.
“The superteam can be in, San Jose’s got a ton of cap room. Imagine a superteam in New York at Madison Square Garden. Imagine a superteam in LA they’ve got a bunch of contracts coming off the books next year. So if Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid decided to take their talents south of the border and join forces on a team because Judd Moldaver is their agent. Those two guys playing somewhere together wearing the same jersey, wearing the same sweater, that’s where I think hockey breaks through,”
The 28-year-old Matthews and 29-year-old McDavid each have two years remaining on their respective four-year, $53 million and two-year, $25 million contract extensions signed with the Maple Leafs and Oilers.
Matthews and McDavid are known to be good friends off the ice, so there’s no doubt conversations could be had if neither superstar has gotten over the hump in his current situation.
Many have been quick to point out that McDavid already has a better running mate than Matthews in Leon Draisaitl, which is absolutely true, though it still hasn’t resulted in a Stanley Cup.
It’s all pie-in-the-sky scenario talk right now, but how the 2026-27 season plays out in Toronto and Edmonton will play a massive factor in the futures of arguably the best goal scorer in the world and the unquestioned best player in the world. Time will tell whether Richards’ wish could become much more of a possibility than we currently think.
Next: Former GM Says Mets “Have to Sign” Tarik Skubal This Winter
