The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are both preparing for the postseason as the 2024-25 regular season comes to a close, and both teams seem poised to end their long championship droughts. The Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967, while the Oilers’ last championship win was in 1990.
The Oilers came up just short, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers, and they will be trying to make up for the crushing loss last season. Aside from that, the Oilers will soon have to shift their focus to re-signing superstar forward Connor McDavid, and while there haven’t been any indications that he would consider leaving, he was recently connected to the Maple Leafs.
Related: Marner, Tavares Relief: Scribes Argue Maple Leafs Should Wait for McDavid
There has been some uncertainty surrounding the Maple Leafs as of late, considering they have yet to re-sign either Mitchell Marner or John Tavares, who are both pending unrestricted free agents and could hit the open market this offseason. In a recent article from The Athletic, McDavid being a backup plan was suggested as an idea for the Maple Leafs if they have the cap space available and the Oilers can’t get an extension done.
“What if, for instance, McDavid opts not to sign an extension with the Edmonton Oilers this summer and somehow becomes available? If he were to leave Edmonton, the chance to play for his hometown team, and with close pal Matthews — who shares the same agent in Judd Moldaver — could be appealing.”
source – ‘If Mitch Marner leaves the Maple Leafs in free agency, what is Plan B?’ – Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle – The Athletic – 04/02/2025
Now, it’s very clear in the article that there is no real smoke or connection between the Maple Leafs and McDavid, nor has there been any indication that the Maple Leafs have even considered a backup plan in case they lose either of those two forwards, but it’s interesting to consider it as a possibility. However, the idea that McDavid would leave the Oilers is completely unrealistic, and an extension should get done shortly after he becomes eligible for one on July 1st, 2025. With Leon Draisaitl signing an eight-year extension with the Oilers, it seems inevitable that McDavid will follow suit and remain an Oiler for life.
Oilers Fans Shouldn’t Panic
Oilers fans had to deal with rumours surrounding Draisaitl before he was extended as well, and there is no doubt in my mind that the same kinds of reports and rumours will follow McDavid until the team announces his extension. The Maple Leafs being aggressive in free agency if they lose star players makes perfect sense, but the connection to McDavid does not, and Oilers fans shouldn’t panic after hearing this rumour either.
McDavid is likely going to become the highest-paid player in the NHL, and it’s fair to assume he could break $15 million per season on his next deal. With the salary cap expected to rise over the next few seasons, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him even push toward $16-17 million annually on his next contract, but either way, he is going to get paid. He has proven throughout his career that he will go down as one of the greatest players ever to play in the NHL, and the Oilers will want to keep him around.
I would say it’s a matter of when, not if, he re-signs with the Oilers. The connection to the Maple Leafs makes no sense whatsoever, and fans shouldn’t even consider alternatives if McDavid doesn’t re-sign right away. He has stated previously that he wants to remain an Oiler for life, and that hasn’t changed any time recently. Hopefully, the Oilers can get that extension done as soon as possible and can avoid the rumours following him into the 2025-26 season, but time will tell what happens.
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