Could Penguins Make Play To Land Oilers’ Connor McDavid?

Connor McDavid came close to hockey’s biggest prize once again in 2025, and just like 2024, it slipped away.

The Edmonton Oilers’ championship pursuit hit another dead end this spring. The Oil reached the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive year but fell short once more. After pushing the Florida Panthers to a decisive Game 7 in 2024, they were eliminated in six games in this year’s rematch.

The loss left Edmonton empty-handed again and is giving new life to speculation about what McDavid’s future could look like if he does not re-sign with the club. The question is now generating buzz across the hockey world.

If the Oilers captain decides to test the market when he becomes a free agent in 2026, teams with cap flexibility and pedigree will come calling. One of them, according to Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz, could be the Pittsburgh Penguins. As Gretz put it, the idea fits a familiar script.

“Star power is in their DNA,” writes Gretz, referencing a Penguins legacy that includes Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Pittsburgh is not built to win now. But with Malkin likely in his final year and Erik Karlsson potentially on the move, cap space will not be an issue for long. The farm system is showing life again, and Crosby remains under contract for another two seasons.

The combination of a transition window, a growing prospect pool, and a franchise that understands how to manage superstars could make the Penguins an intriguing choice if McDavid decides to explore his options. The odds are slim, but not zero. One sportsbook gives the Penguins a +800 shot of landing McDavid.

Desptie the long odds, it is the stuff Penguins fans can dream of and the kind of scenario league execs, including those in Pittsburgh, cannot afford to ignore.

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