Two West Contenders May Be Waiting on Possibility of Matthews or McDavid

The NHL offseason has been full of big-name player movement so far, with the expectation that much more is to come.

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Just about every team in the league wants to be competitive, which has led to plenty of aggressiveness from general managers. That doesn’t mean, however, that some aren’t planning for the future with a more conservative approach.

According to TSN insider Darren Dreger, the Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings are two that especially have one eye on next summer with hope of the possibility that Auston Matthews and/or Connor McDavid become available for trade before the final years of their respective contracts.

Dreger said:

“Like I think Dallas is one of those teams that is sitting there going, LA would be another, they’re sitting there going, ‘OK, let’s just get through next season. If we can get through next season and either Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid happen to land on the table here, we want to be a player in that.’ So they do have to be mindful of how they build their roster,”

The 28-year-old Matthews has two years remaining on the four-year, $53 million contract extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2023, while McDavid, 29, will be entering the first year of the two-year, $25 million extension he signed with the Oilers in October next season (2026-27).

You can be sure that Dallas and Los Angeles aren’t the only teams planning for the potential that Matthews or McDavid hit the market sometime down the road.

That said, it’s interesting to hear Dreger specifically mention the Stars and Kings, especially the former given they’ve been connected to huge names like Dylan Larkin and Zach Werenski. If they don’t land either of them, perhaps we should keep an eye on Jim Nill making a major splash next summer instead.

Next: Insider Teases Major Update on Hellebuyck Trade Status