When Connor McDavid signed a two-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers before the 2025-26 season, most people viewed it as a ticking clock. Win now… or risk losing the best player on the planet.
The Oilers’ resurgence and rise atop the Pacific Division quieted that noise — at least for a while. But a fascinating theory from Spittin’ Chiclets co-host Ryan Whitney has brought it roaring back, and this time, it comes with a Detroit twist.
Whitney openly wondered if Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has been playing the long game — not just for any star, but for the star.
And yes, that star is Connor McDavid.
Why Detroit?
Whitney floated the idea that Yzerman’s reluctance to swing massive trades for elite players like Quinn Hughes, Rasmus Andersson, Elias Pettersson, Nazem Kadri, or Vincent Trocheck might not be coincidence.
Instead, it could be strategic restraint.
Here is Whitney’s full quote from Spittin’ Chiclets, via NHL Trade Talk:
“This is a theory that came into my head, and I tried to brush it out of my head. Is there a chance that Steve Yzerman is thinking, ‘Well, I could go get some of these guys, make a run at Elias Pettersson. I don’t know if he likes Kadri, I don’t know if he likes Trocheck.’ What if he’s saying, ‘Well, I think in two years Connor McDavid is going to leave the Edmonton Oilers, and I think this could be a place Connor McDavid would be willing to play?’ I don’t want to hear that, I don’t want to think that, I don’t even want to imagine that. I’m trying to put myself in Stevie Yzerman’s brain and thinking he’s got two more years.”
The Contract Timeline Makes It… Possible
McDavid is 29 and signed a two-year, $25 million extension that begins in 2026-27. That deal lines him up to potentially reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2028 — right when Detroit’s core should be in its prime and its cap picture wide open.
Even more eye-opening? McDavid is still playing at an absurd level:
- 92 points (33 goals, 59 assists) in 54 games this season
- On pace for yet another Hart Trophy-caliber year
- Still the most explosive, game-breaking player in hockey
If Edmonton falls short in the playoffs again over the next two seasons, the “what if” conversation won’t just be podcast fodder — it’ll become league-wide reality.
Why This Fits the Yzerman Blueprint
Yzerman has built Detroit patiently:
- Drafting elite young talent
- Avoiding long-term cap traps
- Preserving flexibility for the moment when a franchise-altering opportunity appears
And there is no more franchise-altering player in the sport than Connor McDavid.
Is it likely? No.
Is it possible? More than zero.
Is it the kind of moon-shot Yzerman would quietly prepare for years in advance? Absolutely.
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