NHL players name the Maple Leafs the top non-Oilers destination for Connor McDavid
Photo credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
In a recent player poll around the NHL, players named Connor McDavid's likeliest destination post-Oilers, and the Maple Leafs are at the top of the list.
There was a lot of speculation this past summer about if Connor McDavid would re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers or if he would decide to test free agency this upcoming summer, however the star forward re-upped with the Oilers on a two-year deal.
It's not the massive deal we expected, however it does open up the door for him to get a large contract a couple years down the line when he is able to test the market, and if Edmonton doesn't bring him back, you can bet 31 other teams will try and nab him.
But the question becomes then, where does he end up?
He's been linked heavily to the Toronto Maple Leafs given it was his childhood team, and the idea of putting McDavid alongside other stars like Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and William Nylander is tantalizing to say the least.
New NHL-wide poll shows players think Maple Leafs have honest shot at McDavid
Leafs Nation would love to have McDavid in the fold, and according to a recent player poll; they seem like the likeliest candidates.
A league-wide poll by The Athletic asked players where they thought McDavid would end up playing three years. While Edmonton still retained a majority of the votes, the Maple Leafs rank right below them.
Edmonton has 56.4% of the votes, however the Maple Leafs still hold a fairly respectable 10%. Surprisingly the New York Rangers rank third with 8.2% of the vote, with Chicago, Vegas, and Tampa Bay the next three in line respectively.
Rounding out the last four teams are Anaheim, Florida, Los Angeles, and Utah, and while there's certainly a chance McDavid entertains offers from all teams, they seem like the outliers.
Players are certainly confident that McDavid will stick around in Edmonton, especially given how close he's been to winning with them, and the legendary status he's built in the city.
But on the off-chance he doesn't re-sign, players are thinking that Toronto is a likely destination, and that would be a league-altering deal.
Toronto must decide: McDavid or Matthews
While it would be an absolute dream to have both players lining up on the same team, there is one glaring issue.
Both men's contracts are up at the same time, and Toronto likely can't afford both even with a rising salary cap, so they may need to make some tough decisions.
No doubt Matthews has been the face of the franchise, has broken or is close to breaking several team records, and has been Toronto's poster child for the last decade.
But he also hasn't been nearly as successful as McDavid, nor has he shown that game-changing level of offense as we've seen in recent years. McDavid meanwhile has 42 points in 29 games and continues to be a threat every second he's on the ice.
If the team wants to bring in both players, they are going to need to strip a lot of pieces away to pay them both, along with William Nylander. No amount of team-friendly deals can offset that potential cost.
Toronto also can't wait until the last-minute to figure things out either, and will need to use this season, the playoffs, and next year as a litmus test to see if Matthews is truly the star they need, or if he's already past his best years.
It's a delicate line to toe, and for GM Brad Treliving he has a lot of work to do if he wants to ensure he sets the team up for success not only now, but down the line when the Maple Leafs may finally get their crack at Connor McDavid.
Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 9 | 1315 ANSWERS NHL players name the Maple Leafs the top non-Oilers destination for Connor McDavid Do you think Toronto has a shot at signing Connor McDavid? | ||
| Yes | 540 | 41.1 % |
| No | 775 | 58.9 % |
| List of polls | ||