Connor McDavid is entering the most pivotal year of his Edmonton Oilers’ career in 2026-27.
The hockey world has known from the moment McDavid re-signed on a short-term deal in Edmonton that the clock would now be ticking on his time with the Oilers if he doesn’t win a Stanley Cup during that span. Last season ended in a very disappointing first-round exit, and if Edmonton fails to go deep again this upcoming season, then the possibility of McDavid leaving will become as real as ever before.
As a result, NHL insider E.J. Hradek has already heard from sources about three teams to watch if the world’s best player leaves: the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers.
“I had heard through a couple of different sources I do not have a close relationship [with], and don’t really know Connor McDavid at all. I interviewed him once in a while, that’s it. But that if he were to leave Edmonton and go somewhere else, that perhaps Philadelphia or Detroit would be locations that he would be amenable to. The Rangers come up because the Rangers are going to have a lot of cap space. It is New York, after all. The Knicks just won the NBA title, and maybe seeing something like that, where there’s an outpouring of love in New York, that could influence somebody to maybe wanna do that. But I think if Connor leaves and goes anywhere, I think he’s gonna wanna go somewhere where, what… he has a chance to win the ultimate prize. That’s why he would leave,”
The 29-year-old McDavid is, of course, about to enter the first year of the aforementioned two-year, $25 million contract extension he signed with the Oilers in October.
While the idea of McDavid going elsewhere to pursue a Stanley Cup if he can’t get it done in Edmonton makes sense, the three landing spots Hradek mentioned are somewhat surprising.
None of Philadelphia, Detroit, or the New York Rangers are relatively close to being Cup contenders right now. Could the addition of McDavid change that? Absolutely, but it’s hard to argue that they would give him any better chance of winning than his current situation with the Oilers, where he already has chemistry and familiarity.
That being said, if after 12 or 13 seasons in Edmonton McDavid has still yet to break through and win it all, then perhaps it will just be time to try something else.
