Jun 14, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) celebrates scoring during the third period against the Florida Panthers in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

Will Connor McDavid Consider Leaving Oilers?

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 7:00 AM ET

For the second straight season, the Edmonton Oilers have lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers. Despite 33 points from superstar captain Connor McDavid, the Oilers came up short, losing to the Panthers in six games.

McDavid has been looked at as the best player in the league for nearly a decade, but he is yet to win it all with the Oilers. With 10 full NHL seasons under his belt and no Stanley Cup championships on his resume, is it time for McDavid to find a new home to help him reach the mountaintop?

According to ESPN’s Steve Levy, McDavid needs to lift the Cup to be talked about among the sport’s all-time greatest.

"There's a lot of talk within the sport that if they don't win this year, McDavid might look elsewhere."@espnSteveLevy on Connor McDavid's Stanley Cup window with Edmonton. pic.twitter.com/rDoKMHNti4
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) June 17, 2025

“I think he has to win at some point to be among the all-time greats,” Levy said on the Jim Rome Show. “He doesn’t have to win this year, but I remember we said the same thing last year.”

Speaking on the Jim Rome Show before the Cup-deciding Game 6, Levy says that McDavid’s contract situation might open the door for change.

“The window is sort of closing… not because of his age, but because of his contract status,” Levy said. “There’s an awful lot of talk within the sport that if they don’t win this year, McDavid might look elsewhere.”

Following the loss to the Panthers, McDavid is entering the final year of his contract with the Oilers. Come July 1, he will be eligible for a contract extension, but it’s possible pen isn’t put to paper right away.

“If you’re the Oilers, and you know you can’t re-sign him, you can’t let him go to free agency and not get anything for the greatest player in the game,” Levy said. “So that sort of speeds up the process.”

The Oilers might be in hot water with McDavid following their second straight loss in the Stanley Cup Final. Superstar teammate Leon Draisaitl will be kicking off an eight-year deal worth $14 million annually in the 2025-26 season, but will McDavid follow that lead?

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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