Elliotte Friedman quips Northern Alberta fans might be 'driving off the road' after Connor McDavid future speculation

This week during an episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman fielded a question he admitted Edmonton Oilers fans probably wouldn’t enjoy. At one point, Friedman even joked that people in Northern Alberta might be “driving off the road” while listening to the conversation.

Connor McDavid’s contract situation and the tension surrounding its uncertainty continues to loom large over the Oilers. The question put to Friedman in the context was whether McDavid leaving the Oilers to join Auston Matthews on the Toronto Maple Leafs would mark the first time in NHL history that the two best players in the world played on the same roster.

Friedman opines on hypothetical McDavid-Matthews pairing

In response, Friedman pointed to past examples of elite NHL pairings citing Mario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin during the Penguins’ dominant years and Wayne Gretzky with Jari Kurri in Edmonton. As he explained, the league has long seen generational duos at the top of their game:

“Mario, Jagr. I even say like Crosby. Malkin. There was a time where they were one, two in the world and they were winning or up there. I mean, Gretzky, Kurri. I mean, there were so many.”

After indulging the hypothetical, Friedman circled back to reality. He stressed that his expectation remains McDavid re-signing with Edmonton though not necessarily on a 10-year mega deal.

“I think McDavid’s going to re-sign in Edmonton, just not for term,” Friedman said hinting that a shorter contract may make more sense for the Oilers captain. That kind of flexibility has become a growing trend across the league with superstars wanting control while keeping their teams competitive.

The real duo is already in Edmonton

What didn’t come up in Friedman’s discussion was the tandem Edmonton already has in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. From a production standpoint, they measure up well against any duo in the modern era, Matthews included.

Matthews has the slight career edge in goals (401 vs. Draisaitl’s 399), but Draisaitl has been a more balanced offensive force averaging 1.21 points per game compared to Matthews’ 1.15. His playmaking ability paired with McDavid’s explosiveness has produced some staggering numbers.

Across more than 630 games together, McDavid has piled up close to 1,000 points, while Draisaitl has topped 830. When they’re on the ice together, Edmonton controls about two-thirds of expected goals compared to less than half when they’re apart. In playoff situations, their combined impact only grows stronger.

That’s why the idea of McDavid having to leave to find another superstar feels off for Oilers fans. Edmonton already has one of the most dominant partnerships in NHL history one Cup away from claiming their place among the greats.