The Edmonton Oilers made the hiring of Mike Babcock official on Tuesday. The announcement also marked the official beginning of the countdown that could lead to Connor McDavid’s exodus from Oil Country. That countdown could very well lead the superstar to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The reasoning is clear. Babcock’s checkered history has proven that he doesn’t really endear himself to players. The incidents in Toronto, in particular with Mitch Marner, are clear examples of that. Marner, as a matter of fact, brought those incidents up 10 years later, as he tried to justify his exit from Toronto.
Unless Babcock has truly changed, which he hasn’t, the Oilers squad could be in for a rough time next season. The Oilers, for their part, are on the clock. McDavid is only under contract for two more seasons. But, in reality, it’s just this season. If the team can’t win in 2026-27, the pressure will mount.
The summer of 2027 could see McDavid finally push to be traded. Guys like Brady Tkachuk and Dylan Larkin have paved the way for that to become the new normal. Heck, even players like his own teammate, Darnell Nurse, have asked to leave.
Of course, Nurse’s circumstances are different than those of McDavid’s, but you have to wonder if Babcock heading to Edmonton was something that just accelerated the trade request process.
Anyhow, it seems like it’s inevitable that McDavid will land in Toronto at this point. While the Minnesotas, Dallasas, and Floridas of the NHL will try to land the coveted superstar, there’s no better place for him to become one of the true hockey immortals than Toronto.
Maple Leafs could be stocking up on ammo for McDavid trade
Any chance the Maple Leafs might have of acquiring McDavid via trade would imply the organization stocking up on ammo to make it happen. Judging from recent trades, such as the Brady Tkachuk move from last Sunday, landing McDavid would imply multiple first-round picks, in addition to other pieces.
Tkachuk and Jordan Kyrou fetched roughly three pieces each. So, would it be outrageous to consider that McDavid would land at least three first-rounders, a high-end prospect, and, say, other picks and/or secondary players?
As it stands today, the Leafs would have a hard time getting the pieces needed for a trade, that is, unless McDavid forced the Oilers to move him to Toronto specifically. If it turned out to be a situation similar to the Artemi Panarin trade, the Leafs could land McDavid at a much lower price point.
But that’s not likely to happen. McDavid won’t really stand in the way of whatever negotiations the teams undertake. The situation would likely come down to a list of teams McDavid is willing to go to, with the Oilers taking the best deal they can.
So, we shall see. But if it seems like John Chayka begins to stock up on draft picks and prospects, it won’t be because of a rebuild. He’ll be looking to gear up for a trade that would land a big fish, with McDavid potentially being the main target.
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