With the Oilers falling short once again in the Stanley Cup Final, questions are swirling around the future of the NHL’s most electrifying player.
Connor McDavid’s greatness has never been in question. But as the Florida Panthers clinched their second consecutive championship, a different conversation is taking shape, one that casts doubt on whether McDavid will finish his career in Edmonton.
Could Connor McDavid Really Leave Edmonton?
On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Steve Levy joined ‘The Jim Rome Show’ and delivered a striking assessment of McDavid’s situation. With just one year remaining on his contract, and no Stanley Cup to show for his playoff brilliance, Levy suggested a seismic shift may be on the horizon.
“I think he has to win, Jim, at some point to be amongst the all-time greats,” Levy said. “It doesn’t have to be this year, but I remember we said the same thing last year, and he wound up not being able to get it done.”
Connor McDavid and the Oilers lose in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season.
Still no Cup for Canada since 1993. pic.twitter.com/2GGWb3LTZx
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 18, 2025
Levy’s comments, made hours before Game 6, now land with even more weight. The Panthers’ 5-1 win secured the Cup, leaving Edmonton facing the very possibility Levy had outlined.
Levy made it clear. This isn’t about age or performance. McDavid arguably remains the best player on the planet, but the clock may be ticking in a different way.
“The window is sort of closing,” Levy noted. “Not because of his age, but because of his contract status. There’s an awful lot of talk within the sport that if they don’t win this year, McDavid might look elsewhere.”
“There’s a lot of talk within the sport that if they don’t win this year, McDavid might look elsewhere.”@espnSteveLevy on Connor McDavid’s Stanley Cup window with Edmonton. pic.twitter.com/rDoKMHNti4
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 17, 2025
McDavid still has one season left before becoming an unrestricted free agent. That alone gives the Oilers some time, but it also puts pressure on them to act. As Levy said, “If you’re the Oilers and you know you can’t re-sign him, you can’t let him go to free agency and not get anything for the greatest player in the game.”
The idea of a trade involving McDavid would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But the back-to-back losses to Florida and the uncertainty surrounding contract talks have given new life to a once-implausible narrative.
“He’s just so much better than everybody else on the ice,” Levy added. “You can take a person who’s never seen a hockey game before… and you’d be able to point him out. ‘Oh, that’s the one.’”
As the offseason begins, the focus in Edmonton has abruptly shifted. Instead of gearing up for another run, management may soon be forced to answer one of the biggest questions in hockey. What’s next for Connor McDavid?
Whether that future includes the Oilers remains uncertain. But with every passing day, the pressure to find an answer only grows.
