As the Edmonton Oilers figure out how to proceed following their second straight Stanley Cup Final loss, the contract of star Connor McDavid has weighed heavily. McDavid will be entering the final year of his deal with the team, and he could enter free agency next summer.
There has been some speculation around McDavid possibly leaving the Oilers, and that would be music to opponents' ears. If McDavid does become available, there would be no shortage of suitors for the star.
McDavid is seen as one of the best players to ever step foot on the ice, and he could be a real game-changer for any team. Players like him don't typically enter free agency, so even the thought of him being on the open market could have teams scrambling for cap space.
One team that could make a run at McDavid next offseason could be the Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles could appeal to McDavid as a big market and a team that is always competitive.
NHL insider Chris Johnston mentioned the Kings as a potential landing spot for McDavid next summer.
McDavid has had multiple playoff battles with the Kings, so he knows the organization very well. While Edmonton has beaten the Kings each season, McDavid could be the missing piece for Los Angeles.
Additionally, the Kings just hired former Oilers executive Ken Holland to run the front office. Holland and McDavid are very familiar with one another from their time in Edmonton, and this could play into his free agency decision.
If McDavid were to join the Kings, it would be a massive shift in the Western Conference. Los Angeles would become one of the more feared teams in the NHL, and they would be real Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.
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