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

The Toronto media, or at least just Jeff O’Neill, is having more fun with the fan base of the Edmonton Oilers. On a recent episode of OverDrive, O’Neill suggested there’s a “0% chance” Connor McDavid stays in Edmonton beyond the two-year contract extension he recently signed, and Oilers fans are riled up.

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Understandably, there were several fun responses. Daily Faceoff Edmonton wrote, “The year is 2033. Connor McDavid has won multiple Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, he’s broken franchise records, and, as he enters the twilight stages of his career, Jeff O’Neill still believes there’s a 0% chance he stays in Edmonton.” When asked if Toronto-based media will ever stop talking about McDavid leaving, Dennis King responded, “They never will:) The Leafs could win the Cup and the story the next day on Sportsnet would be “Is this what brings McDavid back to Toronto?”

So Why Won’t McDavid Stay in Edmonton?

O’Neill argued that McDavid gave the Oilers a two-year window. That’s it. He believes the superstar told them, ‘If we don’t win, I’m leaving to try somewhere else.’ When Jamie McLennan asked, “What if they win the Cup?”, O’Neill’s response was that he’s even more likely to leave because he brought them the Stanley Cup he set out to win.

It’s unclear why O’Neill seems to set on the idea that McDavid would want to leave Edmonton after spending what will have been 13 seasons there. It might not be because of his Toronto connection, but perhaps the money or the chance to try something else. He wasn’t entirely clear on the reasoning, only hinting that he believes McDavid is destined to bolt.

Bryan Hayes said 40%. Mike Johnson said 23%. McLennan was the highest at 70%, but then wanted to lower his number after hearing everyone else weigh in. But O’Neill’s take of 0% is still wild. Johnson still gave the Oilers a shot to sign McDavid, even though he argued that if the Oilers don’t win — which is far more likely than actually winning — then there’d be no reason for McDavid to keep trying.

Next: Stuart Skinner Has Something to Prove in Winnipeg