NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Oilers & Penguins Plan?

In today’s NHL Trade Talk Recap for September 24, 2026, it’s been a busy day for storylines. Toronto media are still convinced McDavid has one foot out the door in Edmonton. Pittsburgh might be quietly circling Jason Robertson. And the McKenna vs. Stenberg rookie rivalry is already off to a fun start. 

Toronto Media Still Convinced McDavid’s Leaving Edmonton, No Matter What

So Jeff O’Neill is out here saying there’s a flat-out “0% chance” Connor McDavid stays in Edmonton past his current two-year deal, and Oilers fans are (understandably) not thrilled. Even wilder, O’Neill said if the Oilers actually win the Cup, McDavid’s even more likely to bounce, since he’d have already accomplished what he set out to do. Fans clapped back hard, with one account joking that even if McDavid wins multiple Cups and breaks every franchise record, O’Neill will still be out here saying he’s leaving.

The rest of the OverDrive crew wasn’t nearly as extreme, though. Bryan Hayes had it at 40%, Mike Johnson at 23%, and Jamie McLennan started at 70% before backing off after hearing everyone else’s numbers. So O’Neill’s take is definitely the outlier here. Whatever the reason, O’Neill is clearly much more convinced than the rest of the panel that McDavid won’t stay.

“0% Chance” McDavid Stays in Edmonton, Says TSN Analyst

Is Robertson-to-Pittsburgh Still Brewing? Kypreos Thinks So

Jason Robertson’s future got a little quieter when he signed a one-year, $12 million deal with Dallas, but Nick Kypreos is here to stir the pot again. His theory is that Robertson’s one-year, $ 12 million deal expires after this season. At that point, he becomes an unrestricted free agent. That puts Dallas in an interesting position: extend him, trade him, or risk losing him for nothing. That means Dallas could technically sign him long-term and still ship him off somewhere, even a team like Seattle, which Robertson’s already said no to once.

Enter Pittsburgh. Kypreos points out that the Penguins grabbing Jason’s brother, Nick, wasn’t just a random move. The word is it could help lure Jason there eventually, whether through trade or free agency, and apparently Pittsburgh’s a market he’s genuinely interested in. The Pens also just make sense financially, with $10 million in cap space this year and over $60 million next season. That matters since Robertson’s next contract is expected to land somewhere around $16-18 million per year. Not many teams can actually afford that. Pittsburgh can.

Penguins Looking to Use a Loophole to Trade For Jason Robertson?

McKenna vs. Stenberg: The Comparison Is Already Heating Up

The top two picks from the 2026 draft, Gavin McKenna to Toronto and Ivar Stenberg to San Jose, are already being compared constantly. And preseason is only adding fuel to it. McKenna’s been all flash and creativity but only has one assist so far, even though the underlying numbers (zone entries, possession time, slot passes) look really promising. Stenberg, meanwhile, just went off for a hat trick and four points, which obviously makes people go “see, told you he was more NHL-ready.”

But it’s way too early to crown anybody. Neither guy’s faced real NHL competition yet, and their situations are totally different anyway. McKenna’s walking into the Toronto pressure cooker where every shift gets picked apart, while Stenberg gets to develop quietly in San Jose without the spotlight. Both look like future stars, but how they handle their very different environments might matter as much as raw talent. Mark your calendar for October 19th, though. That’s when the two finally face off, and it’ll be a big deal.

Did the Maple Leafs Make the Right Call Taking McKenna Over Stenberg

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