Rangers’ Monster Offer for Oilers’ Connor McDavid — Would You Accept?

E.J. Hradek has been stirring the pot, sending the hockey world into a minor meltdown by openly speculating about where Connor McDavid could land if the unthinkable ever happened. His shortlist — the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers — is fascinating, even if the practicality of any of them is debatable. It’s tough to imagine a scenario where those clubs are genuinely better positioned than the Edmonton Oilers.

But once McDavid’s name gets tossed into the rumor mill, rational thought evaporates. The league freezes. Fanbases go to war. Every hypothetical becomes magnetic.

McDavid still has two years left at a laughably team‑friendly $12.5 million AAV — a number that feels criminal for a player who warps the sport around his presence. Acquiring him now, at 29, with two seasons of elite cost certainty, is infinitely more valuable than clinging to the dream of “maybe he hits free agency.”

Two days ago, I broke down what a Detroit package might look like. Red Wings fans called it outrageous. Oilers fans said it wasn’t nearly enough. That’s the reality when you’re talking about trading the best player on Earth.

Today, we move to the next team on Hradek’s list — the New York Rangers.

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New York Rangers: The Most Likely Option?

If there’s a team on Hradek’s list that feels even remotely plausible, it’s the New York Rangers — and not because they’re better positioned than Edmonton, but because they’re New York. The Rangers are one of the league’s true gravitational markets. Stars don’t just play there; they become part of the city’s identity. McDavid would fit that mold instantly, and the Rangers would chase him with the kind of desperation only a marquee franchise can muster.

The Rangers have missed the playoffs two straight years, a stunning failure for a team with arguably the best goaltender on the planet. McDavid has never played behind elite, game‑stealing netminding — not like this — and the idea of pairing him with Igor Shesterkin is borderline unfair. Add in the fact that New York’s top two centers are both 33, and the need for a true franchise pivot becomes impossible to ignore. McDavid wouldn’t just slot in; he would redefine the entire spine of the roster.

And then there’s the star power factor.

McDavid in Manhattan is a marketing supernova. Edmonton recently ranked third on Forbes’ list of the world’s most profitable sports teams, pulling in an estimated $244 million in operating income — behind only the Dallas Cowboys and Golden State Warriors. That’s not normal. That’s McDavid. Now imagine that same revenue cheat code dropped into the biggest media market in North America, fresh off an NBA championship that reminded ownership what winning can do for a city’s pulse.

The Rangers understand star gravity better than anyone. They’ve built eras around it. They’ve sold eras around it. McDavid would be the biggest hockey star New York has had in a while, and the last star they got from Edmonton captained them to a Stanley Cup in 1994.

So What Would It Take?

The answer hasn’t changed.

Short answer: everything.

Long answer: everything, plus a little more.

The Oilers aren’t moving McDavid unless they know — truly know — he isn’t staying after this contract. If that moment ever arrives, emotion disappears. The return becomes the only thing that matters.

And the Rangers would go nuclear. They’d empty the cupboards. They’d weaponize every asset. McDavid would become the lightning rod for a franchise trying to claw its way back to a Stanley Cup — the same trophy last lifted by a former Edmonton icon in Mark Messier. He’d instantly become the face of the franchise, the centerpiece of the city, and the magnet that pulls free agents back toward Broadway.

So here’s the offer.

The Offer

Rangers Receive:

• Connor McDavid
• Kasperi Kapanen
• Trent Frederic

Oilers Receive:

• Mika Zibanejad
• Gabe Perreault
• Alexis Lafreniere
• Albert Smits
• Will Cuylle
• 2027 first-round pick
• 2029 first-round pick
• 2028 second-round pick

Who Says No?

New York’s Side

The Rangers would hate giving up this much. Losing Perreault hurts. Losing Lafrenière hurts. Losing Smits — a brand‑new fifth‑overall pick — hurts also.

But they’d still do it.

Frederic and Kapanen stabilize the wings after shipping out three forwards. McDavid steps in for Zibanejad and immediately elevates the top of the lineup to a level New York hasn’t seen in decades. And Zibanejad goes instead of J.T. Miller for one simple reason: Miller returning to Canada — specifically Edmonton, after the Oilers knocked out his Canucks in a heated seven‑game war in 2024 — feels like a non‑starter.

The Rangers also avoid giving up three first‑rounders because Smits is a first‑rounder — a premium one. They’re still paying a massive price, but in return they get the superstar who would have his face plastered across Times Square before the ink on the trade call dries.

This is painful. But it’s also the kind of pain a franchise willingly accepts when the best player alive is on the other end of the deal.

Edmonton’s Side

The Oilers probably still want more.

They clear Frederic’s contract and move Kapanen to open space on the wings. Zibanejad becomes a versatile piece — either slotting in behind Draisaitl or anchoring a line with Nugent‑Hopkins. Perreault, Lafrenière, and Cuylle give Edmonton three legitimate wing options, each with different strengths and developmental timelines. Smits becomes a foundational defensive prospect for a system that desperately needs one.

It’s a strong haul. It’s a meaningful haul. But when you’re trading Connor McDavid, “meaningful” isn’t enough. Edmonton might push for Braeden Schneider. They might push for Noah Laba. They might push for another pick. When you’re moving the league’s top talent, you don’t negotiate from fear — you negotiate from leverage.

And the Oilers would have all of it.

Is It Enough?

Honestly? Maybe not.

It’s a strong offer, but the second Connor McDavid’s name hits the market, every team in the league starts hurling assets at Edmonton like it’s a clearance sale. A 29‑year‑old McDavid at $12.5 million is basically a cheat code. His on‑ice impact is unmatched. His off‑ice value is immeasurable.

The Rangers would almost certainly sweeten the pot if pushed. And the wild part? McDavid is worth every additional piece.

Because here’s the unavoidable truth in any McDavid conversation: there is no such thing as paying too much for Connor McDavid. Every franchise would gut its prospect pipeline. Every GM would talk themselves into the pain. Every owner would treat it like acquiring a generational asset you only get one chance at. And New York — with its market power, star‑driven identity, and win‑now expectations — would go further than most.

If the Oilers ever reach the point where they have to listen — really listen — this is the kind of proposal that gets their attention. It doesn’t close the deal. It doesn’t finalize anything. It just nudges the door open.

That’s how rare McDavid is. That’s how franchise‑altering he is. And that’s why a team like the Rangers would keep stacking pieces until Edmonton finally said yes.

Next: Red Wings’ Monster Offer for Oilers’ Connor McDavid — Would You Accept?