Maple Leafs Emerging as Future Connor McDavid Suitor
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The Edmonton Oilers and superstar center Connor McDavid are still stinging from their second straight Stanley Cup Final loss to the Florida Panthers. It was a tough loss, but one that shows once again just how close the team is to winning it all.
Following the loss and entering the NHL offseason, a lot of speculation has started coming out about the future of McDavid.
He has one year left on his current contract. While the Oilers would like to re-sign him long-term, there is no guarantee that they will be able to do so.
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on during the second period against the Florida Panthers in Game Six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 17, 2025 in...
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on during the second period against the Florida Panthers in Game Six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 17, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida. More
Photo byAfter losing to the Panthers, McDavid spoke out about his future. He seems interested in staying with Edmonton, but was not ready to commit to that yet.
Read more: Oilers' Connor McDavid Receives Massive Prediction Amid Rumors
"This core has been together for a long time and we've been building to this moment," McDavid said. "With that being said ultimately I still need to do what's best for me and my family. But of course there's unfinished business here."
While he sounds interested in staying with the Oilers, other teams would love to have a chance to convince him to leave.
Bleacher Report analyst Adam Gretz took a look at potential teams who could try to steal McDavid away from Edmonton. One of his suggestions was the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"The Maple Leafs already have their own superstar and No. 1 center in Auston Matthews. But if McDavid ever does become available, Toronto would have to find a way to get involved in the bidding. After all, how often would Canada's biggest hockey market have a chance to acquire Canada's best player? Especially one that was born in the Greater Toronto Area?" Gretz wrote.
"And if the Maple Leafs keep fizzling out in the playoffs, they'll be under even more pressure to keep making dramatic changes to fix that. They could have a dominant 1-2 punch of McDavid and Matthews down the middle, or they could do something bold by trading Matthews for a haul and replacing him with McDavid at the top. That wouldn't be a very NHL-type of thing for a team to do, but McDavid hitting free agency would likely change plenty of teams' approach."
Read more: Biggest Winners and Losers from the 2025 NHL Draft
During the 2024-25 NHL season, McDavid put together another strong performance. He scored 26 goals to go along with 74 assists in 67 games, totaling 100 points. McDavid also shot 13.3 percent.
It's possible that the Maple Leafs won't even have a chance to sign McDavid. If he does reach free agency, Toronto seems likely to be one of the teams lined up with interest.
McDavid's free agency will continue to be a major storyline around the NHL until more clarity is known about what his future will be.
For more NHL and sports news, head to Newsweek Sports.
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