All summer long, the Edmonton Oilers have had one priority: re-signing Connor McDavid. But with training camp underway, they still haven’t locked up their superstar captain. Now, with each passing day, the pressure is mounting to get a deal done.
While McDavid has told fans he wants to bring a Stanley Cup to Edmonton, his vague comments have left many wondering about his true intentions. But one insider believes the Maple Leafs are emerging as an attractive option for McDavid’s future.
Could the Maple Leafs Be a Potential Destination for Connor McDavid?
Since the offseason began, the entire league has had one question on its mind: Is McDavid going to be a free agent after next season? While the Oilers have made it clear that they will do everything in their power to keep their captain in Edmonton, the contract extension still hangs in the air.
McDavid’s comments remain a little vague, leaving teams across the league wondering if they have a shot at acquiring him. Adding fuel to the speculation, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun believes Toronto is keeping close tabs on the superstar center.
Pierre LeBrun: Until Connor McDavid makes his decision, there are teams that are gonna want to know, do we have to keep our powder dry for the summer of ’26? The Leafs are among them – TSN (9/17)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 17, 2025
In a recent appearance, along with TSN’s Mark Masters, LeBrun mentioned, “There isn’t a day that goes by that the Maple Leaf front office isn’t internally wondering, ‘I wonder what’s happening with Conor McDavid and the Oilers,’ just like 15 other teams around the NHL.”
According to LeBrun, given the caliber of player that McDavid is, the fact that he might be a free agent next year is too appealing for any title contender to ignore. He believes that until the center makes a decision, it will remain the biggest story in the league.
“Of course, that’s the biggest story in the league because until Connor McDavid makes his decision, there are teams that are going to want to know, ‘do we have to keep our powder dry for the summer of 2026?'” LeBrun told Masters.
He continued, “The Leafs are among them, and you know CJ [Chris Johnston] just mentioned they finally have cap flexibility after all these years of being hamstrung, and now the cap’s finally going up.”
Trading Mitch Marner’s contract to Vegas freed up significant cap space for Toronto.
However, while Toronto GM Brad Treliving might be keeping a keen eye on McDavid, the center himself is in no rush to make any decisions.
In an interview with Elliotte Friedman, he said, “I think people just kind of assumed that things were going to happen, and it just goes to show that not everybody knows exactly what’s going on.
“My wife and I obviously love being here in Edmonton, and we have every intention of winning here in Edmonton, and I have all the faith in the world in the 25-26 season, and beyond that remains to be seen.”
In that interview, McDavid stressed that he trusts the group Edmonton has this year. Beyond that, however, all bets are off.
