‘Let’s Quit with Talk of McDavid Maybe Leaving Oilers’, Says Scribe

Veteran journalist Jim Matheson has seen and heard it all when it comes to hockey trades and rumors surrounding big-name players leaving passionate hockey markets. After all, he was the journalist who broke the Wayne Gretzky trade to the Los Angeles Kings story almost 40 years ago. Matheson might recognize if something was cooking, and he doesn’t believe there is anything to the recent chatter that Connor McDavid might leave Edmonton to join his old general manager in Los Angeles.

Ken Holland recently took the GM job in LA, and almost immediately, there was speculation—mostly from Kings fans or fans who like to troll the Oilers—that Holland might try to recruit McDavid to join LA in 2026. When Holland addressed the media on Thursday and said he was given the green light to make trades and chase big-ticket UFAs, that only added fuel to the fire for those trying to stir controversy surrounding the Oilers’ captain.

Matheson wasn’t having it.

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He wrote:

“Let’s quit with talk of McDavid maybe leaving Oilers as a free agent to join old boss Holland in LA if (McDavid) don’t win a Cup here. He is not leaving buddy Draisaitl. He will write the number he wants in a new deal here, not other way around and Katz will say thanks Connor.”

In other words, Matheson suggests there’s no good reason to leave the Oilers for McDavid, and the team won’t lose him because of money. If McDavid wants $15 million per season, the Oilers will gladly give it to him. If he wants $16 million, they’ll give him that, too. He could ask for $20 million, and owner Darryl Katz would sign the cheque.

However, McDavid won’t ask for that much because he understands that winning requires building a team around you that can contribute.

Look no further than this season, where the Oilers have eliminated the Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights because their depth has stepped up, not because McDavid has taken over.

What Can the Kings Offer the Oilers Can’t?

Outside of the weather and the Hollywood lifestyle, the Kings can’t outpay the Oilers and they can’t offer a better team with a better chance to win. Meanwhile, the Oilers can offer McDavid his best friend, the same lifestyle he used to, the richest contract in the NHL, and the chance to win as the salary cap rises repeatedly.

When a link can be made, the fun thing is to suggest that a loss or failure to reach a goal will suddenly change what a player might be thinking. But, at the end of the day, where is McDavid most likely to reach his goal and ultimately win a Stanley Cup? The Kings would have to do a lot more to show him they’re the club he should join.

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