{"id":517270,"date":"2026-03-22T20:57:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T20:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/517270\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T20:57:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T20:57:30","slug":"what-would-a-mcdavid-trade-to-tampa-bay-look-like-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/517270\/","title":{"rendered":"What Would a McDavid Trade to Tampa Bay Look Like?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fans and analysts are going to read far too much into the comments made by Connor McDavid<\/a> on Saturday night \u2014 comments in which he praised the coaching of Jon Cooper and seemed to throw shade at the coaching in Edmonton. Every other post on Sunday morning is quoting McDavid, who called the Lightning an organized, perfectly coached, and very, very impressive team. He then told the media to go ask Kris Knoblauch why the Oilers aren\u2019t as tight.<\/p>\n

It was one of those quotes where everyone in the room looked around at one another and wondered what he meant. McDavid is well aware that whatever he says has an impact. When he speaks, everyone hangs on his words. So, why go this far with his praise for the Lightning and leave so many open questions about where things sit in Edmonton?<\/p>\n

Was McDavid trying to tell management that something in Edmonton needs to change? This is now the second star player \u2014 Leon Draisaitl<\/a>, just before the Olympic break \u2014 to hint that the coaching isn\u2019t good enough. Interestingly, it\u2019s now the second time that said star player has made the comments on the heels of a pretty poor game personally.<\/p>\n

When Draisaitl said it, he wasn\u2019t great. Saturday night, McDavid tried to do it all himself, and it didn\u2019t work. It was one of his poorer performances, with that top line a combined -9. <\/p>\n

What Did McDavid Actually Say?<\/p>\n

Here are the quotes from the McDavid availability after the game on Saturday. It came when he was asked about the Lightning and their own superstar, Nikita Kucherov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"McDavidMcDavid Oilers frustrated<\/p>\n

\u201cThey got a great system. They\u2019re perfectly coached. They all know what they\u2019re doing all over the ice. It\u2019s impressive. They are a great team. They\u2019re extremely well coached, they\u2019re extremely well organized. They\u2019re very very rehearsed in everything that they do. It\u2019s very impressive, and when you do break them down, they\u2019ve got a heck of a goalie to backstop them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Oilers\u2019 captain was asked why Edmonton \u2014 a team that has gone to two Stanley Cup Finals \u2014 isn\u2019t on the same level this season. McDavid responded, \u201cThat\u2019s a coaching question you can ask Knobber that question. Obviously, we\u2019ve been playing together a long time, and we feel like we\u2019re somewhat rehearsed and organized, but not to their level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related: Connor McDavid Sends a Message with Praise for Jon Cooper, Lightning<\/a><\/p>\n

Ouch<\/p>\n

Knoblauch was asked. He took a while before answering: \u201cI don\u2019t think so. I think the organization is fine.\u201d He added: <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of new players right now with the injuries that we have; we\u2019ve got some turnover. I think they had, obviously, Hedman being out. They\u2019ve been together a long time, their group. Our core guys have been together a long time too, so you know, when things are going well, things look organized\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

So, Is McDavid Thinking About Tampa as an Option?<\/p>\n

Again, while these comments on both sides might prove little more than a coach and a player being frustrated with the way things are going, fans and analysts will try to decipher some hidden meaning or subtle message. Among the questions that will surface\u2026 Was McDavid suggesting that the coaching needed to be changed? Was he hinting that he\u2019s got one eye on Tampa, and if the Oilers struggle this season or miss the playoffs, he might be thinking it\u2019s time for a change?<\/p>\n

It was only last week that The Athletic\u2019s Pierre LeBrun said<\/a>, \u201cIt is important as a matter of clarification to understand the context of No. 97 signing that team-friendly, two-year extension last fall. It did not necessarily mean he was signing it to be on the Edmonton Oilers through the 2027-28 season.\u201d This doesn\u2019t sound like the description of someone with a lot of patience. <\/p>\n

So what if he\u2019s thinking Tampa Bay and joining the coach he thinks has his team firing on all cylinders? The Oilers can\u2019t let McDavid walk away, and Tampa has some excellent options if a trade is in the cards.<\/p>\n

A Hypothetical Trade<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to know what fair value is when trading the best player in the world. I debated what would be a fair ask, looked at other big-name trades from the past, and wound up stumped. Eventually, I cheated and asked Grok. The response was interesting.<\/p>\n

A hypothetical fair trade for Connor McDavid<\/a> to the Tampa Bay Lightning this summer (pre-2026-27 season) could look like this:<\/p>\n

Edmonton Oilers receive:<\/p>\n

Brayden Point<\/a> (C, $9.5M cap hit through 2029-30)<\/p>\n

J.J. Moser<\/a> (D, $6.75M cap hit starting 2026-27, 8-year extension)<\/p>\n

Conor Geekie<\/a> (top forward prospect, C\/RW, ~21 years old)<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay\u2019s 2026 1st-round pick<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay\u2019s 2027 1st-round pick<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay\u2019s 2028 2nd-round pick (or conditional 1st if McDavid hits certain bonuses)<\/p>\n

\"BraydenBrayden Point Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

They add, from Tampa\u2019s side: They lose Point (their 90+ point 1C) + Moser (now a locked-in top-4 D on a team-friendly long deal) + Geekie (their top prospect) + heavy picks. But gaining McDavid instantly makes them the overwhelming Cup favorite\u2014pairing him with Kucherov, Jake Guentzel<\/a>, Brandon Hagel<\/a>, and Anthony Cirelli<\/a>, etc., behind the best goalie in the league, this is a nightmare for others. Cap-wise, Tampa projects ~$88-90M committed for 2026-27 (with ~$104M cap ceiling), so outgoing ~$16M+ (Point + Moser + Geekie\u2019s entry-level\/bridge) and incoming $12.5M gives them breathing room to keep the core intact or add depth.<\/p>\n

From Edmonton\u2019s side, losing McDavid is catastrophic emotionally\/fan-wise, but they get Point as a seamless 1B\/2C upgrade (elite shooter\/playmaker to run with Draisaitl), Moser as a young mobile top-4 D to complement Bouchard\/Nurse\/Ekholm, Geekie as high-upside youth, and multiple high picks to rebuild\/re-tool faster. They shed $12.5M and add ~$16M incoming, so slight cap bump but way more flexibility long-term without fully tanking.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a blockbuster to be sure. Fans from both sides will hate this deal and blast the return, some saying it\u2019s too good for Tampa and others saying there\u2019s no way the Oilers get that much. Herein lies the problem with trying to trade someone the caliber of McDavid. <\/p>\n

Oilers fans can only hope his comments were nothing more than him showing some love to Coopper, who had said some really nice things about McDavid prior to Saturday\u2019s game. <\/p>\n

Next: Hope For Stanley Cup: Oilers or Canadiens?<\/a><\/p>\n

\tDiscover more from NHL Trade Talk<\/p>\n

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