As the NHL landscape braces for one of the most transformative offseasons in recent history, all eyes are on Connor McDavid and the looming uncertainty surrounding his future. With his contract extension in Edmonton still up in the air, speculation is reaching a fever pitch—especially with the 2026 free agent class promising to be one of the most star-studded ever. Whispers of McDavid donning a blue and white Maple Leafs jersey, once considered pure fantasy, are now creeping closer to reality, igniting hope and debate across the hockey world.

The idea of the league’s most electrifying player joining forces with Auston Matthews in Toronto is as tantalizing as it is controversial. While Oilers fans cling to hope that their captain will stay, Leafs supporters dare to dream of an unprecedented 1-2 punch at center ice. Yet, with the pressures of Toronto’s intense market and the astronomical price tag that would accompany McDavid, the path to such a seismic move is anything but simple. As rumors swirl and fans on both sides brace for what could be a franchise-altering summer, the only certainty is that Connor McDavid’s next decision will send shockwaves through the NHL.

Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Connor McDavid in blue and white sounds like a pipe dream, however we could be closer to that reality if the Oilers captain doesn’t sign an extension this summer.

With the 2026 Free Agent class expected to be one of the best in history, it’s a landscape changing summer that could throw the entire balance of the NHL off, with pretenders becoming contenders overnight, and dynasties falling after years of domination.

The headliner no doubt is going to be Connor McDavid, the world’s greatest player.

While there’s still time for him to extend his deal in Edmonton, if not, he’s going to be the highest paid player ever, and will make every other team better, regardless of how good they already are.

Connor McDavid Non-Committal To Extension Thus Far

One team who could certainly use McDavid, and who has been the center of rumors surrounding the Maple Leafs for years now.

According to The Leafs Nation Podcast however, it isn’t as unrealistic as it seems:

I mean, it’s too early right? The guy is trying to win a Western Conference Finals. But if you look at that third period, what is going through his mind when he’s working his butt off?

They end up still losing that game because they cant get a kill, they cant get a save when they need it right? I wonder what’s going through his mind.

I don’t know if a Cup would make it easier to leave, you know say ‘Mission Accomplished’ maybe I’ll win a second one somewhere else.

They could say ‘Look we got a good thing going’ and you know, Leon is one of his best friends, [McDavid] can say ‘We’ll figure the goaltending out later.’

But I don’t think it’s a guarantee that he re-ups come July 1.

That certainly sounds like good news for Leafs fans, however it’s the Oilers fans directing their ire towards the Leafs analysts, and believing the whole rumour is bull hockey (no pun intended).

Suffice to say, it seems that Edmonton fans are trying to cope with the fact that he could potentially be gone, though Toronto fans know all too well about that with Mitch Marner.

Could Toronto Actually Be A Potential Destination For Connor McDavid?

I mean, if you were to look at it from a fundamental standpoint then yes, of course it is, it’s the biggest market in hockey with the most rabid but sometimes toxic fanbase and would pair McDavid with Auston Matthews, an unheard of 1-2 punch.

But looking realistically at things, it’s going to be a lot, lot harder. Not only do they have to hedge their bets on the hopes McDavid doesn’t re-sign, but that he will want to deal with the market itself.

Toronto is the most high-pressure market in all of hockey, nobody is given less leeway than a Leafs player. Does McDavid want to commit to a potential few years of backlash before they get it together?

Not even mentioning the elephant in the room, but that cost is going to be absurd. If Mitch Marner is expected to get nearly $14-15M per season, what is McDavid’s projection? $18M? $20M? Does a Cup win push that even higher?

It’s not a huge deal given the Maple Leafs will have lots of cap room, and they can dump off some bad deals before Summer 2026, but that’s far from a guarantee.

So would Connor McDavid and his 1,082 points help Toronto? Absolutely, but it would also help every other team, with less stakes and potentially more money.