McDavid is the face of the Oilers and the NHL for his remarkable ability on the ice and numerous highlight reel plays created over the years. His generational talent has been slightly squandered in Edmonton due to the inconsistent performances by his teammates. A great example of this is the Oilers’ season results in 2024 and 2025. In both years, they lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Florida Panthers. McDavid desperately wants to win, but in a team sport like hockey, it is hard not to wonder if he had more talent around him, would he already have his name engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup?

If Edmonton loses the series to Anaheim, its front office may decide to rebuild and overhaul the roster to contend in the future. McDavid could be a piece that is potentially traded, similar to when “The Great One”, Wayne Gretzky, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings from the Oilers in 1988. Both are truly legends of the NHL and have a worldwide impact on the sport as recognizable faces.

Other Western Conference teams, such as the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and Colorado Avalanche, would pounce on the chance to add such a talent as McDavid. The Eastern Conference would be no different because the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs could create enticing packages to acquire his services.

The Penguins, for example, could ship a package of draft picks and players to Edmonton for McDavid, so they could pair him with another NHL figurehead, Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh would instantly become the Eastern Conference favorites by having easily the two most talented players in the league on its top offensive line. The other teams in the Metropolitan Division would be challenged even further to keep up. Crosby could achieve his fourth and final Stanley Cup while McDavid wins his first.

The Maple Leafs could also create a deal to bring McDavid near his hometown of Richmond Hill, just outside of Toronto. The combination of him and Auston Matthews would nourish the depressed fans of the Maple Leafs for years and put them right in Stanley Cup contention. The possibilities are truly endless when a talent like his potentially becomes available.