The NHL's 2026 UFA class contains several notable stars who could become available to the highest bidders. Topping the list is Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
It seems unthinkable that McDavid would depart the Oilers and chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere. Nevertheless, the possibility is reportedly being talked about in league circles.
TSN analyst Chris Johnston discussed the issue with the SDPN panel on Monday. While he believes McDavid will re-sign with the Oilers, he felt there could be 10 teams that would become serious suitors if the 28-year-old superstar hits the open market.
“I'm sure it has occurred to the Kings,” said Johnston. “I'm sure it has occurred to the Rangers. You don't think Julien BriseBois down in Tampa Bay is looking at his long-term roster?”
Those clubs could indeed think of it. With the salary cap projected to rise to $104 million for 2026-27, the Kings, Rangers and Lightning will have the cap room to sign McDavid even if he seeks to become the highest-paid player in the NHL.
However, if McDavid seeks upward of $20 million annually, that would still take a huge bite out of any team's salary-cap payroll.
It could leave the Kings lacking sufficient cap room to re-sign UFA-eligible winger Adrian Kempe. The Rangers would have to part ways with Artemi Panarin. The Lightning have all their core players under contract for 2026-27, but adding McDavid would make it difficult to fill out the rest of their roster with suitable depth talent.
Meanwhile, the possibility of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes reuniting with his brothers Jack and Luke on the New Jersey Devils created a stir in the rumor mill this spring. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford raised that issue during his club's end-of-season media availability in April.
Hughes, 25, is UFA-eligible in 2027. Rutherford indicated his club would do all it can to keep their captain in the fold, but his off-the-cuff remarks rattled Canucks followers while exciting Devils fans.
However, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers doesn't buy the notion of his teammate joining his brothers in New Jersey. The Hockey News’ Adam Kierszenblat cited the blueliner's recent appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast, where he said he felt the story was overblown.
Myers said Hughes loves his brothers, but he doesn't go around the dressing room saying he wants to play with them.
“I know it's a big, big story around the hockey world, but everyone makes it a lot more than it is,” Myers said.
Nevertheless, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now wondered if Myers was trying to downplay the speculation, or if Rutherford said what he did to gauge his captain's value in the trade market.
Despite Myers' remarks, this story isn't going away until Rutherford or Hughes address it directly.
Get the
latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by
subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below
the article on THN.com.
Read the full article here