If Connor McDavid Does Leave Edmonton, Why Not Join Montreal?

A report surfaced this weekend from media reporter Marc-Olivier Beaudoin on Twitter claiming that while attending the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal, Connor McDavid was spotted checking out neighbourhoods around the city.

Beaudoin also reports that if McDavid were ever to leave the Edmonton Oilers over the next few years, the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers would be among the teams at the top of his list.

Let's start off with one thing.

The whole "checking out neighbourhoods" thing means absolutely nothing to me.

For all we know, McDavid was simply driving around the city. Maybe he was sightseeing. Maybe he got lost. Maybe he was looking for a restaurant. The idea that him being seen in a neighbourhood automatically means he's house shopping or planning his future is a massive stretch.

At this point, I don't think there's any reason to believe McDavid is anything but fully committed to the Edmonton Oilers for next season.

The 2026-27 season is arguably the biggest season in franchise history. Edmonton has already come painfully close to winning a Stanley Cup, and if they fail again, particularly if they don't even make it back to the Final, then the conversation about McDavid's long-term future becomes very real with the 2027-28 season being the final one on his contract.

Because at some point, if you're McDavid, you have to ask yourself what more you can realistically do.

He's given Edmonton everything.

So, while I don't put much stock into the neighbourhood rumour, I absolutely believe the Montreal Canadiens would be one of the first teams McDavid would consider if he ever decided to move on.

And honestly, why wouldn't they be?

The Canadiens are coming off an Eastern Conference Final appearance after reaching the playoffs last year with the youngest roster in the NHL. Their core is young, talented, and only getting better.

Meanwhile, the Rangers (the other team involved in this report) and Canadiens are in completely different situations.

Montreal is trending upward and just getting started.

New York appears to be heading toward some form of rebuild.

The Rangers aren't a Connor McDavid away from becoming a Stanley Cup contender. If you added the best player in the world to Montreal's current core, there's a legitimate argument that they'd immediately become the best team in hockey.

One of the biggest reasons Montreal is a very real McDavid landing spot for me (bias aside) is their salary structure.

The Canadiens have done an outstanding job locking up their core players on long-term deals that look incredibly team-friendly.

• Noah Dobson is currently the highest-paid player on the roster at $9.5 million annually.

• Nick Suzuki remains signed for under $8 million through 2030.

• Cole Caufield is coming off a 50-goal season and is under $8 million through 2031.

• Juraj Slafkovský is only entering the second year of his eight-year extension.

• Lane Hutson could very realistically develop into one of the NHL's best defensemen and is locked in long-term as well for under $9 million through 20234.

The Canadiens have built their books in a way that could allow them to take a legitimate swing at a superstar.

And when that superstar is Connor McDavid, every team in hockey should be exploring every possible avenue.

In terms of what a trade would cost the Habs, I think we need to consider something.

Whenever people talk about a potential McDavid trade, the assumption is usually that the return would be historic.

I'm not convinced.

Not because McDavid isn't worth a massive package, but because he'd hold virtually all the leverage.

If McDavid reaches a point where he's unwilling to sign an extension in Edmonton, the Oilers would be operating from a difficult position.

He has a no-move clause and has all the power to dictate his future.

He can essentially tell Edmonton, "I'm only willing to sign with these few teams. If you gut one of those teams in a trade, I'll just wait for free agency instead."

The Oilers would still receive a significant return which would probably include multiple NHL players, a premium prospect, and several draft picks, but it may not be the franchise-altering package people imagine when discussing the best player in the world getting traded.

And that's important for Montreal.

Because if McDavid were interested in joining the Canadiens, the entire point would be joining Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovský, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, and the rest of this young emerging core.

He's not leaving the Oilers just to go somewhere else with nothing around him.

There's also something bigger here than hockey.

The Canadiens aren't just another franchise, the biggest brand in hockey, the most historic organization in NHL history.

If McDavid's ultimate goal is building the greatest legacy possible, imagine what it would mean if he became the player who brought the Stanley Cup back to Montreal.

The Canadiens haven't won since 1993, and if McDavid arrived and found a way to end that drought, he'd instantly become hockey royalty forever.

We're talking about a legacy-defining accomplishment.

Winning a Cup is one thing. Winning a Cup in Montreal is something else entirely.

All this said and at the end of the day, I don't think McDavid driving around Montreal means much of anything. I'm not reading into the neighbourhood report.

But the broader idea of McDavid playing in Montreal? I think it's very possible.

If McDavid ever leaves Edmonton, I have a very hard time believing the Montreal Canadiens wouldn't be one of the teams at the very top of his list.

They have a young core.

They have cap flexibility.

They're already contenders.

They're only getting better.

And if McDavid's goal is to win a Stanley Cup while cementing his place in hockey history, there may not be a more compelling destination in the NHL.