The Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs last season as the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. This season, Montreal is proving that they are going to be a playoff team once again in the east. The Canadiens have played 60 games and have a 33-18-9 record with 75 points.
Because of how stacked the Atlantic Division is this season, the Canadiens are currently the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Montreal no doubt on the right path of becoming serious Stanley Cup contenders in the future.
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They have not won it all since the 1992-1993 season and they are the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup. The Edmonton Oilers have been the latest Canadian team to be in the Stanley Cup Finals. Edmonton lost twice to the Florida Panthers in 2023-2024 and in 2024-2025. If Connor McDavid does not win the Stanley Cup with the Oilers in the next couple of years, is he better off elsewhere?
The Hockey Writers Believe That Connor McDavid Could Wind Up with the Montreal Canadiens in 2028
Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals at the Bell Centre.Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
(Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)
McDavid is still under contract with the Oilers for another two years after the 2025-2026 NHL season. If he does not have a Stanley Cup title with Edmonton after the 2027-2028 NHL season, then it might be time for him to win a championship elsewhere.
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At the moment, Montreal has a better constructed roster than the Oilers do. If the Canadiens did get him, it would be a team destined to win the Stanley Cup in the future.
Doug Stein of thehockeywriters.com believes that McDavid and Montreal could be a potential match in the summer of 2028. He said, “What seems unlikely now could become inevitable by 2028 if the Montreal Canadiens continue on this trajectory: Connor McDavid could sign with Montreal as a free agent when his current two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers expires. This isn’t about market myth or sentiment. It will hinge on the world’s best player believing that it is the strongest path to winning.”
There is no doubt that McDavid is going to want to win a Stanley Cup in his career and it could very well not be in Edmonton. It is also possible that he would want to stay in Canada and Montreal might be the best destination to achieve that goal.
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Some key players on the Canadiens roster are Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson. Adding McDavid to the mix would potentially get this team over the top. Who knows, maybe Montreal wins it all within the next two years anyways with Martin St. Louis as the head coach.
This season with Edmonton, McDavid has played in 62 games. He has scored 35 goals and has recorded 70 assists. His plus/minus rating is 11. At the moment, McDavid is 29 years old. If he still doesn’t have a ring in two years from now, there is no doubt he will the pressure to win and a place like Montreal would no doubt help his cause.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.