How the Toronto Maple Leafs can lure Connor McDavid from the Edmonton Oilers

If the Edmonton Oilers came away Stanley Cup victors, this article wouldn’t be written. There’d be no doubt Connor McDavid would re-sign in Edmonton, attempting to start a dynasty with the Oilers. But they lost, so it’s now all eyes on McDavid.

With just one year left on his deal, McDavid is eligible to sign a contract extension starting July 1. The Oilers aren’t worried about getting a deal done; any sign of panic from their camp would start the biggest media frenzy in the league. They sound confident they’ll have no issues getting a long-term extension done.

But if McDavid is sick of losing in an Oilers jersey, or they won’t pay him as much as he wants, he’ll become the most sought-after free agent in NHL history. Every team in the league will be lining up for his services, and his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs might have the best pitch.

The hometown hero

In recent history, there seem to be two types of Toronto-born NHLers.

Those who have the passion and want to be part of the group that brings the Cup back to Toronto.

And those who want nothing to do with the media market and pressure of playing for the biggest team in the league (I’m looking at you, Mitch Marner).

The first group, filled with guys like Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton, wear their Leaf fandom on their sleeves. They know how much hockey means to Toronto, and they play with the fire that this market appreciates.

Neither played particularly great in the playoffs, but you could tell they cared. These are the types of hometown guys the Leafs always go after.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that McDavid would fit right in with them.

It’s been clear throughout his entire career the intensity with which he plays. He’s a freak out there, especially when the games become important. He shows his emotions, from his elation when things are going well to his frustration when they aren’t. But he is a passionate, passionate man.

If he calls it quits on the Oilers, he’d be as motivated as anyone to bring a Cup back to his home city.

The Leafs’ cap situation

For the first time in almost a decade, the Leafs are actually in a position to get creative with their cap. If they see even a slight chance of McDavid hitting the open market, they can easily balance their budget to find room for him.

To start, they have Marner’s almost $11M coming off the books once July 1 hits. John Tavares will be dropping from $11M to around $5M, and David Kampf ($2.4M) and Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1M) are surely on the move.

That right there is about $20M in space. Assuming McDavid doesn’t get the absolute max, he’ll probably come in around $16M. Toronto can make that happen.

By plugging holes with one-year deals or bringing in some young blood on cheap deals, Brad Treliving can leave a giant hole in the 2026 books. And looking ahead at the free agency class, this is the smartest thing to do. 

Even if McDavid doesn’t hit the market, other names such as Artemi Panarin, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, and Kyle Connor could. The best thing for Treliving to do is to posture for the 2026 offseason and go big fish hunting.

The pitch

While Toronto will be up against just about every other team in the McDavid sweepstakes, they can make a very interesting pitch.

First, McDavid is already friends with Auston Matthews. The two share commercials and work out together in the summer. McDavid has already played with another top-five player in the league, but not many other teams can give him a running mate like Matthews.

Second, he would legitimately become Hockey God in Toronto. The marketing opportunities would be one thing, but if he were able to bring a Cup back to the city, he’d go down as the greatest Leaf of all time. The whole province (minus Ottawa) would bow down to him, and he’d make a wild amount of money from endorsements.

And lastly, this is home. McDavid spends his summers in Muskoka and would be moving back to his childhood stomping grounds. If he’s the type of guy we think he is, he would bring the passion to play for the Leafs, and wear the blue and white with pride.

A pipe dream

Will all of this happen? I really doubt it. But with such a special player potentially heading to market, the Leafs need to do everything they can just in case he does become a free agent.

If—and it’s a big if—McDavid doesn’t re-sign with the Oilers, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him come home.

It’s the right thing to do, Connor. Let’s make it happen.