The Edmonton Oilers’ contract negotiations with Connor cDavid have stretched far too long for anyone’s comfort this summer, and now the community wants an answer before the puck drops against the Calgary Flames on October 8 to begin the regular season.
McDavid is crucial because he is central to the Oilers’ championship aspirations. But adding a three-time Stanley Cup champion to the lineup doesn’t sound bad either. Amid all the trade noise surrounding Sidney Crosby, what are the chances he lands in Edmonton and teams up with “McDavid?”
How Likely Are the Edmonton Oilers To Land Sidney Crosby?
There is little to dislike about a turn of events that brings Crosby to Edmonton. He is a three-time champion who was recently named the fifth-best center in the league, after Aleksander Barkov, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and McDavid himself.
While the Oilers captain decisively overtook Crosby in the list, the latter is also ten years older at 38 and continues to be a force to be reckoned with across the NHL. Having him in Edmonton does not sound bad, but what are the odds?
While the Pittsburgh Penguins’ franchise face has been most frequently linked with the Montreal Canadiens, The Athletic does not entirely dismiss the possibility of a potential trade between the Penguins and the Oilers surrounding Crosby, believing there is a “slight chance.”
“The Oilers are a Cup contender with arguably the two best players in the league. If Crosby wants to go hunting for a fourth title, there aren’t many better places to go in the short term than Edmonton,” writes the publication’s staff.
Of course, adding Crosby to a team that already has McDavid and Draisaitl will yield results, but a trade, if that ever happens, should also be agreeable to the Penguins.
“The problem is the Oilers are tight against the cap and are low on high-end futures, something the Penguins would want,” noted Daniel Nugent-Bowman.
NHL Rumors: Sidney Crosby Wants Penguins to Follow Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals’ Game Plan
Moreover, the Oilers have had qualms about short-term contracts, which can be a significant concern regarding a potential Crosby move to the Oilers. As Nugent-Bowman pointed out in a previous piece, the team must be more open to short-term deals to attract talent.
Lastly, the Oilers need to negotiate a new contract with McDavid first. Right now, nothing is more critical than the Edmonton outfit resolving the issue urgently to retain the team’s captain. With McDavid secure, the team can direct its attention to Crosby.