A Superteam Idea That Could Unite the NHL’s Two Biggest Cup-Hungry Stars

Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid have shadowed each other for their entire careers — both went first overall, both became franchise cornerstones, and both now wear the “C” for high-profile Canadian teams in Toronto and Edmonton. They’ve racked up gaudy regular-season numbers and individual hardware, but a Stanley Cup has eluded them both.

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That gap in their résumés is fueling speculation about their next contracts. Matthews and McDavid are each two years away from free agency in 2028, and commentator Cabbie Richards recently floated a theory that’s caught fire online: what if the two friends teamed up on the same roster to chase a championship together?

What if they tried to create a superteam?

Richards said:

“The superteam can be in, San Jose’s got a ton of cap room. Imagine a superteam in New York at Madison Square Garden. Imagine a superteam in LA they’ve got a bunch of contracts coming off the books next year. So if Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid decided to take their talents south of the border and join forces on a team because Judd Moldaver is their agent. Those two guys playing somewhere together wearing the same jersey, wearing the same sweater, that’s where I think hockey breaks through,”

It seems incredibly ambitious to think these two could pull this off. At the same time, we’re seeing a trend in the NHL where friends, brothers, and interesting pairings are winding up together. The Tkachuks both found their way to Florida. Everyone expects the Hughes to play together at some point. The cap is going up and there are enough teams with cap space to make a Matthews and McDavid pairing feasible.

What Wayne Gretzky did for LA and the U.S.A when he went from the Oilers to the Kings was indescribable. Imagine if Matthews and McDavid both wound up going to a team like the Sharks? They already have Macklin Celebrini, but hockey’s popularity in that area would reach an entirely new level.

It’s certainly not impossible. The two stars share representation, which could make coordinating their next moves easier if they wanted to. McDavid has already proven he’s willing to take less money to win.

Would Matthews and McDavid Together Equal a Stanley Cup?

It’s worth noting McDavid already plays alongside a star-caliber winger in Leon Draisaitl, and that pairing hasn’t delivered a title yet either—a reminder that even superteams aren’t a guarantee. The NHL is unlike the NBA, where two or three players are on the court an entire game and can make all the difference.

It’s also fair to note that both McDavid and Matthews are getting older. By the time these two could organize joining forces, their respective prime years will be in the latter stages.

Still, how next season unfolds in Toronto and Edmonton could shape whether this stays hypothetical or becomes a real storyline as both players approach unrestricted free agency. Both are hungry for a Stanley Cup and need it for their respective legacies. Each would probably do almost anything to get there.

** This story was adapted from our sister site Trade Talk Sports. The original article by Jackson Weber is here.

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