As much as it would pain Edmonton Oilers fans, the team would have no choice but to trade franchise star and captain Connor McDavid if the two sides fail to reach an agreement on a new deal before July 1, 2026.
Connor McDavid has two years remaining on the eight-year, $100 million extension he signed in the 2017 offseason. The Oilers, however, cannot extend the five-time scoring champion until next July at the earliest.
Edmonton can’t lose an all-world and generational talent like McDavid for nothing. If the two sides can’t agree to an extension, the front office would have no choice but to deal him to the highest bidder. GM Stan Bowman would undoubtedly land a massive return to keep the team’s title window open, after all.
The team that makes the most sense for Connor McDavid (if not Edmonton) is the Toronto Maple Leafs. McDavid was born and grew up in Richmond Hill, part of the Greater Toronto Area, and cheered for the Leafs as a kid.
The Maple Leafs have one of the league’s other premier superstars in Auston Matthews. They’ve made the postseason every year since 2017 but have just a single playoff series win to show for it.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NHL stories via Google! Follow Us
Toronto GM Brad Treliving also has a proven superstar, several young roster players and draft picks to offer Edmonton for Connor McDavid.
The proposal is this: McDavid to the Maple Leafs in exchange for star forward Mitch Marner (a pending free agent), 21-year-old top-six forward Matthew Knies, top prospect Easton Cowan, a 2025 second-rounder and a 2026 first-round pick.
For Edmonton, they’re still getting a franchise game-changer in Marner to complement Leon Draisaitl. Knies himself could be a 40-50 goal-scorer to accommodate Draisaitl, Marner and Zach Hyman. Cowan and two early-round picks further sweeten the deal for Edmonton, as opposed to losing McDavid for nothing.
Connor McDavid & Auston Matthews Would Guarantee Multiple Cups For Toronto
Matthews is arguably the second-best hockey player on the planet behind Mr. McDavid himself. Now just imagine if the Leafs pulled off a trade that no longer made Matthews the face of their franchise.
McDavid, Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly would guarantee multiple cups for the Leafs, pure and simple. No team would have the personnel to stop this offense, and Toronto would be set up to form the next great dynasty in hockey.
