NHL Rumor Mill – August 22, 2026
In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: suggested destinations for Oilers captain Connor McDavid as the offseason silliness continues, and a look at the Red Wings’ cap space.
BLEED OIL BLUE: NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek recently discussed hypothetical destinations for Connor McDavid if he were to leave the Edmonton Oilers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid, 28, is entering the first season of his two-year contract extension with the Oilers. That has generated speculation about what the superstar center might do if the club fails to return to Stanley Cup contender status after last season’s disappointing performance.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)
Hradek said he doesn’t have a close relationship with McDavid. However, speaking with “a couple of different sources,” he said that if McDavid were to leave Edmonton, perhaps the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings were locations that he might be amenable to.
The New York Rangers come up “because the Rangers are gonna have a lot of cap space, and it is New York, after all.” Hradek suggested that seeing the outpouring of love for the New York Knicks after winning the NBA championship could influence someone to join the Rangers.
Hradek ultimately believes that if McDavid leaves, it’ll be to join a club where he can win the Stanley Cup.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With all due respect to Hradek and his sources, the Flyers, Red Wings, and Rangers won’t give McDavid the best chances to win hockey’s holy grail.
The Flyers are a promising team, and they definitely need a first-line center. They exceeded expectations last season by reaching the playoffs and advancing to the second round. However, even the most die-hard Flyers fan knows that their team is still several years away from Cup contention.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, the Red Wings have become a soap opera. A decade-long playoff drought prompted team captain Dylan Larkin to request a trade, forcing ownership to relieve franchise icon Steve Yzerman of his duties as general manager and sparking speculation about his eventual replacement. Of the teams Hradek mentioned, the Wings are the furthest from Cup contention.
As for the Rangers, GM Chris Drury has been attempting to retool his roster on the fly over the past two years. While this season’s edition is bound to be better than last season’s, they are no closer to regaining their Cup contention status from two years ago.
I realize I’m noting where these teams are now and that a lot can change by the time McDavid’s contract expires in 2028, assuming he departs as a free agent and doesn’t push for a trade beforehand.
Nevertheless, I don’t see those three clubs improving over that period to become certain Cup contenders, which I believe is what it would take to entice McDavid.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen recently reported that whoever becomes the next general manager of the Red Wings will be swimming in salary-cap space this season.
According to PuckPedia, the Red Wings have a league-leading $19,572,084 of cap space for 2026-27. That will go down once restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson is re-signed. Assuming he gets an average annual value of $9 million, it would still leave the Wings with over $10 million to work with. They could also gain another $8.7 million, depending on what they gain if they trade Dylan Larkin.
Allen noted that the Red Wings could have over $40 million in projected cap space for 2027-28. Next summer’s free-agent pool could be deep. Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild are among the stars who could be available.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Having lots of salary-cap space won’t matter if the top players in next summer’s UFA market aren’t willing to sign with your club. The Red Wings’ current status suggests they could have a difficult time wooing the best free-agent talent.
They could put that cap space to better use in the trade market, provided they target players lacking no-trade protection or those who would be willing to waive their clauses to come to Detroit.
What does Mcdavid do if the Oilers win the cup ? We all pretend to know what happens if they don’t..
It sounds like Larkin is staying. They are not getting a return of any value for a low cost center who has scored 30 on multiple occasions
If he expands his list to the Canes, I think it gets done.
If McDavid wants to win a cup he’ll have to take a pay cut on his next contract. No teams that are close to being a contender will be able to afford him if he wants max dollars.
Purely speculation but my guess is he lands in Boston or Ottawa.
Ottawa??? What makes you think Ottawa could – would – be an option? Really curious here.
I wouldn’t rule out the LA Kings, if buddy AM34 can somehow join him there. Kings can offer Byfield, Clarke etc…
It’s Buffalo cycle comes around
2 huge differences in McDavid speculation. Does he decide he wants out next summer or does he leave in free agency 2 years from now? If traded, what will a team have to give up? We go through the whole scenario with return, cap space, and will he be willing to extend with acquiring team. Full nmc lets him pick where he goes. Who knows where Oilers are 2 years from now. Grass isn’t always greener elsewhere. No guarantees of a cup. Drasaitl signed long term. McDavid wife fixed him up with her best friend. McD wife also owns a business in Edmonton. Happy wife, happy life. McDavid, imo, stays. He is more likely to leave near end of career if he still hasn’t won the cup.
I will note that Matthews is also in same boat. Should he leave, maybe the McDavids end up in Toronto. McDavids childhood favorite team and wife from there.
With Mcdavid, I don’t see him leaving unless the team decides to blow it up.
1. I think the relationship with Draisaitl is massive, they are literally attaching a tunnel to each others houses.
2. I think legacy is important to Mcdavid, when going down as one of the greats of all time, a player like Larkin doesn’t have to worry about that, very good player, not an all time player. Winning in the city you’re drafted to and not chasing a cup until you’re maybe at the end of the road like Ray Bourque and there’s no way left to make it happen is a big thing. Especially in a city like Edmonton. He’s following in the foot steps of the 80’s Oilers, if he walks away, it will always be like LeBron with an asterisk on his legacy.
3. His wife has multiple businesses in the city. Not that she couldn’t restart in another city with her name and money but just another thing tying them down.
4. He has an owner that is willing to do anything to win, pay 2 coaches to not coach the team and bring in another because the GM wants their own? Sure. Buyouts? Sure. Pay premiums for players to play in the minors? Sure. If there’s one thing Daryl Katz lives into with this team it’s “Spared no expense”-John Hammond
Not many teams can say the same thing.
Maybe I’m wrong, I just don’t see the NY lights being what makes him sign there, he can do and go anywhere he wants literally anytime he wants, there are cities he might equally be loved just like Draisaitl, such as Toronto and Montreal but it won’t be more, it will just be the same thing in a different spot, any city south of the border, he is lowering his value to that city, the teams aren’t as popular, the players can walk around and be invisible, which some players love that, he probably would in a sense too because going out here must be a nightmare sometimes. He would not have the same support and fanfare there though and if that is important to him, then he’s in the right spot.
I think the signing of the 2 year contract wasn’t as much of a “let’s see what happens in 3 years” as it was a “the salary cap will go up, I’ve made so much money between my salary and sponsorship deals, I’ll take more when the cap goes up.” When you’re Mcdavid, the team Oilers open the Chequebook and say “how much and for how long?” And he makes the decision.
Problem for Edmonton, is being able to secure a general manager that can effectively build a Stanley Cup winner around McDavid and Leon. That’s where the weakness lies
Why does Philadelphia always gets mentioned as a destination spot? In Boston he would get a lot more attention. Wooo would he get a lot of attention.
My cousin was Connor’s bullet family in Erie for 3 years. They are still very close. My cousin and his family where at Connors wedding, they where at the draft with him etc…they are still close. Connor was hoping Buffalo won the lottery that year. He would still like to play in Buffalo and from what sounds like , he may choose the Sabres when he hits free agency. I’m in Philly and have been selling the flyers to Connor through my cousin every time we talk. I have also personally seen text messages directly from DB that state that the flyers are going to be in the mix when and if Connor decides to leave Edmonton.
I think it might be more of a “I gave it a go for 2 years and it didn’t work… I’d like to stay but if a salary cut didn’t work I might as well take the big bucks for it to not work “.
Since when is NHL Network or the NHL an authority on anything except helping make the NHL more money while ignoring fans of the game?