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The Edmonton Oilers are still reeling from their second consecutive loss in the Stanley Cup Final, both of them coming against the Florida Panthers. As it stands, the core of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl still has not won a Stanley Cup, and the franchise will be set on changing that in the very near future.
Before the Oilers get to that, they have to deal with McDavid's contract extension. The star forward is eligible for a contract extension before he enters the final year of his current deal in 2025-26 with free agency potentially looming in the summer of 2026 if he chooses not to re-sign with Edmonton.
A potential McDavid free-agency sweepstakes would be one of the biggest bidding wars in the history of hockey, and every team would be looking to offer him a deal if it were to come to that.
The Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning would be three teams in the running for McDavid if he does hit the open market, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic.
“I’m sure it has occurred to the Los Angeles Kings. I’m sure it has occurred to the New York Rangers,” Johnston said on The Steve Dangle Podcast. “You don’t think Julien BriseBois down in Tampa Bay is looking at his long-term roster?
“Obviously, there's 31 teams that would like to have him, but there's probably 10 teams that would think they'd be in the running if they ever got a chance.”
The three-time Hart Trophy winner has given no indication that he wants to step away from the Oilers, but the possibility remains that it could happen as long as he has not signed a long-term extension with the franchise where he has spent the first 10 years of his career.
If Connor McDavid were to tell the Oilers that he is not going to re-sign, Edmonton would likely shop him in a potential trade in order to ensure that it wouldn't lose him for nothing. However, if McDavid drags the saga out into next season, the buzz around his potential free agency, and the possible landing spots will only get louder and louder.
