The Montreal Canadiens haven’t lit up the team up with changes, but one of the biggest names in hockey could test how long that approach lasts.
Connor McDavid has surfaced as a future target for Montreal, with The Athletic outlining a scenario in which the Canadiens would make a run at the Edmonton Oilers captain if Edmonton’s season goes poorly and his long-term future becomes uncertain.
In its Aug. 19 Canadiens mailbag, Arpon Basu of The Athletic wrote that there is “definitely chatter” surrounding McDavid and Montreal.
The outlet added that if the Oilers eventually believe McDavid won’t extend beyond his current two-year contract, the Canadiens would be well-positioned to make an offer that could appeal to both sides.
That possibility is conditional.
Since McDavid is under contract through the 2027-28 season, there’s hockey to be played before Edmonton would have to entertain anything drastic.
Nonetheless, Montreal has assembled the roster and asset base to put itself in the conversation if the door ever opens.
Canadiens Could Be Positioned for McDavid Swing
GettyEDMONTON, CANADA – JANUARY 6: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers carries the puck into the offensive zone during the second period of the game against the Nashville Predators at Rogers Place on January 6, 2026, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Leila Devlin/Getty Images)
McDavid signed a two-year, $25 million extension with Edmonton in October 2025, keeping his $12.5 million annual cap hit unchanged when the new agreement began this season.
The short term immediately preserved questions about what happens after 2027-28.
Those questions resurfaced after Edmonton’s abrupt playoff exit last spring. The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons before their 2026 postseason ended in the opening round against Anaheim.
After the Game 6 elimination, McDavid described Edmonton as an “average team with high expectations,” and acknowledged the group never found the consistency it needed, per NHL.com.
His individual production hardly slipped.
McDavid led the NHL with 138 points, collecting 48 goals and 90 assists on his way to the sixth Art Ross Trophy of his career. He also captured his fifth Ted Lindsay Award as the league’s most outstanding player as voted by his peers.
That combination — a short contract, yet another dominant season and a team trying to regain contender status — figures to keep McDavid’s future under a microscope.
The Athletic believes Montreal could enter that picture if circumstances deteriorate in Edmonton.
The Canadiens have young players and prospects capable of forming an enticing trade package while offering McDavid a destination already moving toward contention.
Montreal’s Young Group Gives Canadiens Flexibility
GettyMONTREAL, CANADA – MAY 27: Head coach Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens looks on during the third period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes at Bell Centre on May 27, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
The Canadiens’ own timeline is what makes the likelihood of pursuing McDavid intriguing.
Montreal advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last season before falling to Carolina in five games, continuing a rapid climb for a young group.
The roster already features Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky. NHL.com highlighted Montreal’s collection before the 2026 draft, pointing to a stockpile of young talent on the NHL roster and deeper in the organization.
That depth has allowed management to avoid forcing an expensive move this summer.
There’s pressure to use that flexibility at some point, though.
The Athletic reported that members of Montreal’s bedrock who accepted below-market contracts did so hoping the front office would use those savings on genuine difference-makers.
Spending on the wrong player could damage the project, but failing to add a major piece when one becomes available hits hard as well.
Few players would live up to that elite description more clearly than McDavid.
All things considered, Montreal isn’t doing this tomorrow, and Edmonton has given no indication a trade is coming.
The scenario hinges heavily on how the Oilers perform and what McDavid wants beyond 2027-28.
If those circumstances change, the Canadiens appear to have the motivation — and the resources — to make themselves tricky to ignore.
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