NHL Analyst Predicts Maple Leafs to Land Oilers Superstar and Build Powerful 1-2 Punch

Gretz's scenario projects a 2026 blockbuster acquisition that would unite McDavid with Auston Matthews, establishing a 'dominant 1-2 punch' in Toronto, Canada's biggest hockey market.

'The Maple Leafs already have their own superstar and No. 1 center in Auston Matthews,' Gretz wrote. 'But if McDavid ever does become available, Toronto would have to find a way to get involved in the bidding.'

The appeal, he penned, is not just an on-ice promise but a symbolic value in matching the nation's top player with its most storied franchise, particularly one in McDavid's home province of Ontario.

'How often would Canada's biggest hockey market have a chance to acquire Canada's best player? Especially one that was born in the Greater Toronto Area?' Gretz said.

There has been absolutely no progress on a McDavid extension at this time

While the Oilers are widely expected to make a record-breaking proposal to keep McDavid, no formal negotiations have started. Talks have reportedly been limited to general discussions about the future direction of the team and what McDavid wants.

'We haven't talked to him at all about his contract,' Oilers GM Stan Bowman said at the start of free agency. 'It's really just been talking to him about our team and how we can improve and what he sees and that kind of stuff.

'So, the conversations haven't even started as far as a contract.'

Now 28, McDavid has given indications that his future decision will be about more than just money. Family and a desire for long-term stability will be priorities.

'Ultimately, I still need to do what's best for me and my family,' McDavid said.

Whether he stays loyal to Edmonton could depend in large part on how competitive the team looks like it will be in the near future, and how those close to him feel about it.

With the clock ticking towards 2026, the hockey universe will be watching closely. It's all speculation now, but the McDavid sweepstakes are already starting to take shape.

Fans of the Oilers are hoping that if there is one team McDavid wouldn't sign with, it's the Maple Leafs.