Insider Hints at San Jose as Landing Spot if Connor McDavid Leaves Edmonton

Macklin Celebrini has the attention of the hockey world. In his age-19 season, the superstar center has already surpassed the 100-point mark, was one of Team Canada’s best players at the Winter Olympics, has his San Jose Sharks in a playoff spot, and is in the running for the Hart Trophy. That’s an unbelievable year for any player, let alone a teenager in just his second full season as a pro.

Celebrini’s brilliance has not only brought the Sharks back to relevance—it’s put San Jose on the map as a destination again for players around the league. And we’re not just talking about any player. TSN insider Darren Dreger has his eyes on Auston Matthews, and possibly even his Olympic linemate Connor McDavid, should he ever leave Edmonton, as those who could look to team up with Celebrini in Northern California.

Dreger said:

“And it’s also he (Celebrini) somewhat individually is part of the reason why we’re looking at the San Jose Sharks as being a possible contender for a piece like Auston Matthews, or, if things implode in Edmonton, a superstar guy. They’re encroaching that area as an organization where they’re not that far away from making a splash,”

The 29-year-old McDavid’s two-year, $25 million extension with the Oilers, signed in October, begins next season (2026–27) and runs through the 2027–28 campaign.

Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini in San Jose?

There, of course, remains a lot that has to play out over the next few months and years for McDavid in Edmonton to determine whether he could ever actually become available.