Speculation: Elephant in the room: Is McDavid going to be the biggest UFA ever in 2026?

[PROUD PAPA]

Pretty much have to respect whichever decision he makes. If he doesn’t like the look of the Oilers when it’s time to decide he shouldn’t stick around.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Lol you saying this like the cap won't be 110 million by then.

Not sure what relevance you think that has. You do know the cap goes up for everybody, right? Any in-demand player will price themselves accordingly. Hence why Draisaitl is making $14 million next year, which is more than what players previously signed for. It's not like Oilers signed McDavid/Draisaitl to long extensions during flat cap and are getting relative bargains. They'll be paid market rate, and in order to fill out their roster via UFA, will need to pay other players their market rate.

This is a legitimate talking point given the age of the Oilers existing supporting pieces and the fact that you can basically write off the 2019 through 2023 NHL Drafts entirely as far as providing the Oilers with cheap go-foward value. Not really something to "lol" away.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

I think McDavid and his wife will have a bigger impact on his decision than Drai. He will have leverage and if he doesn’t have a Cup by then I imagine he will be hyper focused on where he can get a couple. He will be thinking about his legacy, not about the best man at his wedding

His legacy has already been set. Even if he never won a cup, he'll go down as among the best players to have ever played in the NHL, period.

There's little to believe he won't extend with Edmonton. Especially when few teams could hope to absorb 16M or whatever he ends up signing for.

 

[Crow]

Lol you saying this like the cap won't be 110 million by then.

Look at the list of free agency signings each year. To me it seems like 8/10 aren’t really worth what they are making. The Zach Hymans of the world are the exception. For every Hyman there’s a Stamkos, Bertuzzi, Tuevo, Skinner, Tarasenko, Marchessault, etc.

Oilers are going to need some incredible scouting/luck to keep their window open. Either by finding value in a few free agents or getting value out of some later round picks. It’s a tall ask. Not saying it won’t happen but it seems unlikely.

 

[AcerComputer]

Not to be mean, but he just said he wants to win. The Oilers made the finals.

They made the finals and didn't win. Correct? And where do you think EDM would finish without McDavid? He's also gonna want to be the guy that delivers a cup for his hometown. You can't replace something like that.

 

[Connor McConnor]

This thread isn't about the penguins. I'm a hockey fan first and enjoy discussion on all teams. Besides, pens are like 40 years old and have already done their winning so who cares. They were the best team of the era, nothing to feel bad about.

You don’t enjoy discussion. You like being condescending and acting superior because of what? Sid won you cups 10 years ago?

I see you in every single Oiler/McD thread and you just speak nonsense.

I’m so so sorry Gretz > Mario and now McDavid > Sid.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

You don’t enjoy discussion. You like being condescending and acting superior because of what? Sid won you cups 10 years ago?

I see you in every single Oiler/McD thread and you just speak nonsense.

I’m so so sorry Gretz > Mario and now McDavid > Sid.

You'll get over it. 10 years in and they have one finals appearance. McDavid has been fantastic, but the Oilers have been a failure.

 

[Soundwave]

You'll get over it. 10 years in and they have one finals appearance. McDavid has been fantastic, but the Oilers have been a failure.

I mean that's not that atypical actually. Matthews hasn't been in the Finals. MacKinnon has been in 1 in 10 years. Eichel in 1 in 9 also. Ovechkin didn't make his first finals until his 12th season. Yzerman didn't win a Cup until his 12th or 13th (?) season. Michael Jordan didn't win his first championship until age 28, and he ended up with six of them, and he's widely regarded as the best team sports athlete of the modern era (1990 onwards).

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I mean that's not that atypical actually. Matthews hasn't been in the Finals. MacKinnon has been in 1 in 10 years. Eichel in 1 in 10 also. Ovechkin didn't make his first finals until his 12th season. Michael Jordan didn't win his first championship until age 28, and he ended up with six of them.

Matthews, MacKinnon, and Eichel aren't really comparables to a generational talent. Besides, we already know the leafs have been a failure. Eichel was stuck in Buffalo who is the worst run franchise in the league. And the caps won 3 president's trophies before they broke through, they were a perennial powerhouse. Much better built than Edmonton is.

Not impressed with what Edmonton has built, the top 2 completely carry them. Supporting cast is also getting older and declining, so unless some great young players hit, last year is looking like the closest they're getting any time soon.

 

[Soundwave]

Matthews, MacKinnon, and Eichel aren't really comparables to a generational talent. Besides, we already know the leafs have been a failure. Eichel was stuck in Buffalo who is the worst run franchise in the league. And the caps won 3 president's trophies before they broke through, they were a perennial powerhouse. Much better built than Edmonton is.

Not impressed with what Edmonton has built, the top 2 completely carry them. Supporting cast is also getting older and declining, so unless some great young players hit, last year is looking like the closest they're getting any time soon.

The coach is quite good, since the 3rd game of the season (Cup hangover) the Oilers are only allowed 2.4 GA/G, which is good for about 2nd best in the league, without the benefit of a big ticket goalie either. To me that's a coach doing a heckuva job on the defensive systems side (him and Coffey).

Not many teams have a Leon Draisaitl either who's leading the NHL in goals this year (again), Evan Bouchard has some warts in his game but he is a young player still and can go on monstrous tears.

It's not like Crosby had a ton of sexy on his rosters all the time either, the 09 Penguins were kinda meh after Crosby/Malkin/MAF, even in the Kessel era they won that one Cup without Letang at all and that D-Corps on paper looked really mediocre.

You don't necessarily need an All-Star team to win a Cup. I would say the Oilers should invest a bit more in goaltending, if they have more stable goaltending they are difficult to beat with the new defensive system they've had there for a year + now.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

The coach is quite good, since the 3rd game of the season (Cup hangover) the Oilers are only allowed 2.4 GA/G, which is good for about 2nd best in the league, without the benefit of a big ticket goalie either.

Not many teams have a Leon Draisaitl either who's leading the NHL in goals this year (again), Evan Bouchard has some warts in his game but he is a young player still and can go on monstrous tears.

It's not like Crosby had a ton of sexy on his rosters all the time either, the 09 Penguins were kinda meh after Crosby/Malkin/MAF, even in the Kessel era they won that one Cup without Letang at all and that D-Corps on paper looked really mediocre.

You don't necessarily need an All-Star team to win a Cup. I would say the Oilers should invest a bit more in goaltending, if they have more stable goaltending they are difficult to beat with the new defensive system they've had there for a year + now.

So do you think not winning the cup has been or will be a personal failure of Mcdavid/Draisaitl and the Oilers core? Because if you say the Pens rosters were meh, they still managed 3 cups and 4 finals with their core.

 

[Soundwave]

So do you think not winning the cup has been or will be a personal failure of Mcdavid/Draisaitl and the Oilers core? Because if you say the Pens rosters were meh, they still managed 3 cups and 4 finals with their core.

The defensive structure of the Penguins and the goaltending is the central difference between the two teams as I see it.

When MAF had his mid-career slump where he shat the bed in the playoffs multiple times, Crosby and Co. went out in round 1/2 an awful lot.

The Oilers actually now I think play an awful lot more like the Cup winning Penguins of those days, much, much better defensively since Knoblaugh/Coffey have come in, night and day difference from before.

The goaltending is still the difference, Skinner can be alright in stretches, but I think they need to invest in a better 1A/B option to push him and take the ball when he does have his slumps.

The fact that they were two goals away from a Cup with a goalie who was barely .900 in the playoffs is bonkers.

 

[Maple Leaf]

What fantasy world are you people living in? He is not going anywhere. This thread is a waste of time and energy.

no way he stays in edmonton forever

 

[Reality Czech]

I'd be shocked if draisaitl didn't already talk to mcdavid about his plans prior to signing his extension.

When I saw draisaitl commit, I took it as a given that mcdavid plans to do the same.

That's assuming McDavid has already decided. Why make a definitive decision about your future years before you have to?

Maybe he'll do the ol Auston Matthews special and sign a 4 year deal so he isn't locked in for the whole 8. He'll cash in regardless.

 

[oilers4life5]

no way he stays in edmonton forever

I am saying he is not leaving in 2026. Maybe after another max deal he will leave but that’s in the distant future.

 

[Connor McConnor]

You'll get over it. 10 years in and they have one finals appearance. McDavid has been fantastic, but the Oilers have been a failure.

It's funny because I have other Penguin fans liking my posts. It tells me you aren't even liked by your own kind. You are a depraved soul who thinks he can come into other teams threads and cast judgement as if its fact.

I guess now that your run is over for the rest of your life, this is what you've become hey? Oh as you call it, just a hockey fan wanting discussion. Lmao. Sad.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

My sources are telling me that McDavid once visited Kennywood when he was a member of the Erie Otters and ever since then it has been his dream to return to Western PA and bring another cup to the good people of Pittsburgh.

Not a coincidence that Sid and Geno will be coming off the books that same summer.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

It's funny because I have other Penguin fans liking my posts. It tells me you aren't even liked by your own kind. You are a depraved soul who thinks he can come into other teams threads and cast judgement as if its fact.

I guess now that your run is over for the rest of your life, this is what you've become hey? Oh as you call it, just a hockey fan wanting discussion. Lmao. Sad.

Don't get so emotional, you're making this weird. And this is the public Trade board, you might be better off staying on the Oilers board if you need to protect your feelings.

 

[jjniner]

Edmonton… lock up the women and children. With this hanging over the Oil’s heads, watch out for Armstrong swooping in and stealing a couple more of your youngsters again! Offer sheets are back!

 

[Kerberos]

I think he's a Leaf come July 2026

Keep hoping, I suppose. Absolutely no incentive for McDavid to go to a team that has no shot of winning anything and is 50/50 at best to win a single playoff round.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Draisaitl wouldn’t have stayed if McDavid was planning to leave. He was McDavid’s best man at his wedding. You think they wouldn’t have talked about it?

they prob have but things change over a year. u never know. good chance he extends but he very well could change his mind

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Keep hoping, I suppose. Absolutely no incentive for McDavid to go to a team that has no shot of winning anything and is 50/50 at best to win a single playoff round.

cant even say its never going to happen, some players want to play for their childhood team at some point in their career. he's prob not leaving to join Toronto but if he does end up leaving Edmonton Id bet he goes somewhere nice and warm. leave Canada and the winters behind

 

[StuckOutHere]

I'm sure the PA would love this to happen but I really don't think he's leaving Edmonton.

 

[Fishy McScales]

I'm sure the PA would love this to happen but I really don't think he's leaving Edmonton.

This is a new one. The PA apparently joins hopeful fans in wishing Connor would leave Edmonton.

 

[StuckOutHere]

This is a new one. The PA apparently joins hopeful fans in wishing Connor would leave Edmonton.

No, if McDavid signs for the max it means the "bar" for everyone moves up. He could sign the max in Edmonton and the same thing applies. I could have been way more specific here haha.