Connor McDavid’s name keeps popping up in summer speculation, and this latest round comes with a shortlist that feels more curious than convincing.
On the Bleed Oil Blue Podcast, NHL Network analyst E.J. Hradek floated three possible landing spots if McDavid ever left the Edmonton Oilers: the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. Hradek also made clear that winning would be the deciding factor for McDavid.
That’s where the whole idea starts to wobble. The Flyers exceeded expectations last season, but there’s no guarantee they can repeat that kind of success in 2026-27.
Detroit, meanwhile, is described as a tirefire of an organization, with no GM, its best player wanting out, its top scoring veteran gone, and no real signs of a playoff team. The Rangers make the list largely because they’re New York.
It’s an odd set of fits for a player whose priority, by Hradek’s own admission, is to win. That raises the obvious question: why would McDavid choose any of those three teams?
There’s also the matter of what actually supports the idea. The source of the suggestion is described only as “a source somewhere,” and the piece makes clear that there aren’t any substantial reports backing up the speculation. It also notes that McDavid was an advocate for hiring the new coach and that the Oilers are a better team than any of the three franchises mentioned.
So the latest McDavid chatter lands in familiar territory: plenty of noise, not much substance.
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