2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[underGRADFlame]

Thought experiment...What does a pending UFA McJesus get the oilers in trade mid-season or at the deadline?

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

Thought experiment...What does a pending UFA McJesus get the oilers in trade mid-season or at the deadline?

Would be tough for any team to fit in his salary midseason

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

Thought experiment...What does a pending UFA McJesus get the oilers in trade mid-season or at the deadline?

Nothing because he won't waive. He wants to try and win a Cup with his buddy before leaving.

[Tbull8]

In a perfect world they're on the cusp of playoffs so he doesnt demand out at the deadline, and then they miss out to a surging Wolf led flames. McDiver walks as a ufa

[traptor]

McDavid walking for nothing would be soooo sweet.

[Vinny01]

Edmonton has been as close as you can get the past 2 years but it remains a challenge to see them do it again as this team continues to age out. The pressure on Howard and Savioe to show they can be something is pretty big as I can see McDavid looking at a roster of him and Draisaitl at 30+ and a bunch of other older vets.

I still think it is a 2 year extension he will end up signing. If he wanted to chase rings though signing in a place like San Jose next summer where the team has young stars, cap space and assets to make moves to win immediately makes sense as well or a team like Carolina who have everything but the superstar

[BrownDrake]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

Thought experiment...What does a pending UFA McJesus get the oilers in trade mid-season or at the deadline?

I don’t think there is ever any trade for McDavid. I mean if he doesn’t sign they will be able to get futures perhaps or a decent young prospect but he cannot do a sign and trade because the return would destroy the team he’s going to and hamper his ability to win. I strongly believe he signs a 2-3 year deal and it’s explicitly communicated that’s he’s not resigning with the oil unless he has won a cup or two. Management and ownership will know that he is done after that contract and the return won’t be good if they try to move him or he asks to be moved. I’ve heard pundits say he signs an 8 year and can ask to be traded at anytime, I believe that’s BS because moving him under contract would require a ransom coming back.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I was told he wants to play for the Leafs. I did throw in the caveat that he might sign a two year deal at most if Pissy cried enough. Believe me, he wants out.

You are starting to hedge your "information".

From a couple of months ago:

Originally Posted by dissentowner

He is not staying. He will be a Leaf after this deal..

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I stand by that 100%. If I am wrong you can all shame me until the cows come home and I will honour Paulie and I's bet. He has every intention on signing with the Leafs after this deal.

I don't know what he will do. I have never met McDavid, nor do I know anyone remotely close to him. What I do know is for a while you have been defiant to anyone that suggests McDavid would stay in Edmonton, or go anywhere else. You have been adamant that he will leave after the current contract, and he might. Now, you are saying he might stay if Leon can convince him to. It seems this is being set up so you can claim to be "right all along" when the situation resolves itself.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

You are starting to hedge your "information".

From a couple of months ago:





I don't know what he will do. I have never met McDavid, nor do I know anyone remotely close to him. What I do know is for a while you have been defiant to anyone that suggests McDavid would stay in Edmonton, or go anywhere else. You have been adamant that he will leave after the current contract, and he might. Now, you are saying he might stay if Leon can convince him to. It seems this is being set up so you can claim to be "right all along" when the situation resolves itself.

I have been saying that for months now you Muppet, go look. Again, stick to what you know, graphs. This thing has a factor in it, it's called Draisaitl. I am really sick of you following me around trying to stir the pot, what are you 8 years old? Tell you what, if I am wrong and he signs a long term extension with the Oilers I will leave. If he wins a short extension and then doesn't sign in Toronto I will leave. If however his next deal after the Oilers is in fact with the Leafs like I said it will be you get the F out of here and leave me alone. Deal? I would rather be wrong and not have to deal with your juvenile bs anymore. I sometimes wonder about these idiots that live to troll others on here, you must be a real quality person in real life squiggs.

[dissentowner]

Like I exposed squiggs for a fraud two years ago and he can't get over it and continues on with his juvenile grudge. Stick to your graphs.

[Enoch Root]

Well, you were 100% adamant that he would leave. I don't doubt your intel that he had/has interest in playing in Toronto, the problem was that you were emphatic and claimed that he would 100% sign in TO. And of course, there is no 100% certainty when talking about what someone will choose to do in the future.

If you had said he has significant interest in signing in Toronto, that would have presented the same intel, without painting yourself in a corner.

[Vinny01]

The Leafs make sense if they can clear the cap space but they have similar challenges the Oilers do in terms of future assets. They can offer a fairly comparable running mate in Matthews who he seems to be close friends with off the ice.

If he goes to Toronto he is really embracing the pressure. I prefer he head to the States because him in Toronto would be pretty annoying.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Goriders

Everyone wants out of Edmonton

Edmonton wants out of Edmonton

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Well, you were 100% adamant that he would leave. I don't doubt your intel that he had/has interest in playing in Toronto, the problem was that you were emphatic and claimed that he would 100% sign in TO. And of course, there is no 100% certainty when talking about what someone will choose to do in the future.

If you had said he has significant interest in signing in Toronto, that would have presented the same intel, without painting yourself in a corner.

I didn't paint myself in a corner at all. He will 100% sign with Toronto, I stand by that. Things change though and Crysaitl might have whined enough to get him to stay for a few more years. If I was backing off him going to Toronto then you could call me out. I guess I should not have updated the situation because everytime I share where things are or what I hear I get this bs.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

The Leafs make sense if they can clear the cap space but they have similar challenges the Oilers do in terms of future assets. They can offer a fairly comparable running mate in Matthews who he seems to be close friends with off the ice.

If he goes to Toronto he is really embracing the pressure. I prefer he head to the States because him in Toronto would be pretty annoying.

The Leafs would be able to clear the space. They might have to move out Knies or a few other contracts. If you actually look, they don't really have any bad contracts though. Maybe guys like Dakota Joshua are overpaid, if they don't perform. Even then, I think other teams would take a chance on a player like that due to his playoff history.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by underGRADFlame

Thought experiment...What does a pending UFA McJesus get the oilers in trade mid-season or at the deadline?

Trading him mid-season or at the TDL would absolutely ruin a lot of the fanbase. That's basically telling your fans you're not good enough to make the playoffs or feel you can make it to the SCF for a 3rd year in a row. The only time McDavid would have ever been considered for trade is if the Oilers had terrible playoff success and never got over the Conference Finals hump that started in 2022. Since they've made to the finals twice, they would be fools to trade their best player that pulls not only his own weight but the entire team except for one other player.

They are ride or die with McDavid.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Leafs have ~$24 MM in space for next year with 16 out of 23 roster spots filled and no critical RFA's or UFA's. They are already set up to take on McDavid as soon as next year without a massive shake up. Have no idea if they will, but they easily could.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

Leafs have ~$24 MM in space for next year with 16 out of 23 roster spots filled and no critical RFA's or UFA's. They are already set up to take on McDavid as soon as next year without a massive shake up. Have no idea if they will, but they easily could.

I think letting Marner walk and signing Tavares at such a cheap cap hit has them prepared to open up the check book for him too. I also think that's why many teams are timid on handing out large contracts because they want in on McDavid in case there's a slim chance they can grab him.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by blankall

The Leafs would be able to clear the space. They might have to move out Knies or a few other contracts. If you actually look, they don't really have any bad contracts though. Maybe guys like Dakota Joshua are overpaid, if they don't perform. Even then, I think other teams would take a chance on a player like that due to his playoff history.

If Draisaitl and Matthews zero each other out the Leafs have a far more impressive group of forwards and the Blueline probably tilts to Edmonton as the Leafs do not have a Bouchard type and many of their guys are very old with little in the pipeline.

Nylander, Knies, Tavares are better than Hyman, Nuge, and Mangiapane

Goaltending is suspect for both.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Things become interesting for McDavid. If he is all about the benjamins, then it is a fairly complicated mess right now, given the mix of:


1) He will be 29 in January.
2) Salary cap is substantially rising in the next few years
3) Contract length changes in the next year


He will have to weight the above with the risk of getting injured. McDavid becoming a UFA with a wonky knee in 2-3 seasons (when he enters his 30's) is not the same as prime McDavid. There is also the chance (knock on wood - I don't wish it on anyone) to have a career ending injury and not have that big deal in your pocket, right? I think is honestly a really difficult decision for him to make.


However, what it definitely sounds like is that he doesn't want to stay there. This isn't a Gaudreau situation in which Gaudreau DID want to re-sign here - and probably would have if offered more at the time, but once it went to the final buzzer, going UFA became too attractive to pass up. There is no negotiating. If McDavid says "Only 1 year, max dollar", the Oilers say "Yes sir, thank you sir". There is no player in the entire league with as much negotiating power as McDavid has right now. None. So it has squat to do with negotiations.


I think he is really weighing his options, and I wouldn't be surprised at this point if that also meant wondering if he should move this season and extending with his preferred destination. It is a lot of money to consider. I am not as convinced a 2-3 year deal is smart for him. If he stays healthy, it certainly is mathematically the best move to make with the rising cap. I do think it is a lot to consider.



For me, this is my tier of 'best outcomes' as a Flames fan.

1) Leave as a UFA. Nobody will want to go there any longer, so the cap space will be irrelevant. Oilers have nothing coming up the pipe either. That team will be sunk.


2) Re-sign. Oilers have gone back-to-back to the Finals, and that's certainly scary as a Flames' fan. However, they have built a rather terrible team, and they have nothing coming up the pipe, and they don't have cap space. McDavid's deal will chew all of the available space, so you will have an older, declining team even with McDavid.


3) Trading McDavid. I think they may end up being a better team if the right package is offered. Good players + prospects. In today's NHL, you aren't going to get the Lindros deal, especially since McDavid is 28 right now (turning 29 halfway through the season). However, I would expect the richest deal since the salary cap was instituted. it could really build a future contender on Edmonton, and I definitely don't want that.


So here's hoping he just drags it out this year, and walks away in the off-season.