Maple Leafs Predicted to Land Connor McDavid After Stanley Cup Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final is over, with the Florida Panthers claiming the title once again. Florida has now won two straight titles, and every other team in the NHL will be looking to knock them from the mountain top.
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The only team to take this Panthers team to a seven-game series was the Toronto Maple Leafs, potentially hinting that Toronto isn’t as far from title contention as previously thought. But this offseason will be massive for the Maple Leafs, especially with the expected loss of star Mitch Marner.
With this, the Maple Leafs front office is expected to go big-game hunting. But could Toronto potentially go after the biggest star of all?
That would be Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who just lost his second straight Stanley Cup. McDavid has one year left on his current deal and could look at his options following the conclusion of his deal.
McDavid is from the Toronto area and could make sense for the Maple Leafs down the line. NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report linked the Oilers star with the Maple Leafs, hinting at a potential landing spot in the future.
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“But if McDavid ever does become available, Toronto would have to find a way to get involved in the bidding. After all, how often would Canada’s biggest hockey market have a chance to acquire Canada’s best player? Especially one that was born in the Greater Toronto Area? And if the Maple Leafs keep fizzling out in the playoffs, they’ll be under even more pressure to keep making dramatic changes to fix that,” Gretz wrote.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) controls the puck against the Florida Panthers during the second period in game five of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place.Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Adding McDavid to this team would certainly change everything for the Maple Leafs. McDavid would create a lethal duo alongside Auston Matthews in Toronto, and he could help his childhood team go after a title.
The Oilers will likely do whatever they can to keep him in town, but money does talk. McDavid may also want a change of scenery, which could lead him to potentially leave the team.
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Only time will tell, but this is certainly a fascinating thought.
Related: Panthers GM Drops Hint About Offseason After Stanley Cup Win
Related: Stars Predicted to Land Panthers All-Star in Massive Offseason Move
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.