Player Poll Reveals Front-Runner for Connor McDavid’s Future Team

Connor McDavid‘s uncertain future was the talk of the offseason in the hockey world. Now 10 years into his career and coming off back-to-back losses in the Stanley Cup Finals, will he stay in Edmonton or flee for somewhere he presumes to give him a better chance of winning that elusive championship?

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That was a real question, and it dragged out for over three months, with the Oilers captain never showing his hand, noncommittal throughout the process. There were times it felt like McDavid might actually be considering leaving the franchise that drafted him first overall back in 2015, though, when it came down to it, he couldn’t leave Edmonton without giving it another shot.

Every other team around the league was crushed by the news, having hoped that the best player in the world would be available for the taking as a free agent the next summer, or even by trade at the deadline if the Oilers knew he’d be departing.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and their fanbase were especially disappointed that the dream scenario of McDavid coming home was no longer possible. However, it still could come to fruition in three years’ time, and players around the league think if it’s not Edmonton, Toronto would be the place he goes when his next deal expires.

In a player poll done by The Athletic, the Oilers landed a whopping 56.4% of the vote, as expected, though the Maple Leafs were next behind them at 10%.

“I think he’s going to find his way home,” said one player, who doesn’t play for the Leafs… For better or for worse … ” another added,”

The 29-year-old, of course, signed a two-year, $25 million extension with the Oilers just prior to the start of the season, ending other teams’ hopes of prying him out of Edmonton in free agency of 2026.

Connor McDavid and the Oilers Have Unfinished Business

While it’s fun to speculate and project where McDavid might be three years down the road, his focus is on the here and now and finishing the job in Edmonton.

Not only that, but doing so alongside the core group he’s been with for so much of his career in Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard, among others.

It hasn’t been an ideal start to the 2025-26 season for McDavid and the Oilers, but they’ve started to find their footing, and we should know by now not to count out a team led by two of the best players in the game.

Getting to a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final will be a grueling task, but don’t be surprised to see Edmonton do it, because McDavid and company are as motivated as ever to not just get back to the dance, but to finish the job.

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