Exploring what it would take for the Winnipeg Jets to acquire Oilers’ Connor McDavid in 2026 free agency.
The Winnipeg Jets could explore options at adding one of the biggest names in the 2026 NHL free agency class and new reports indicate the top name on the list, showing signs of opting to test the market.
On a recent episode of his podcast “32 Thoughts” Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman discussed Connor McDavid’s situation in Edmonton, noting that ongoing uncertainty has stretched out longer than anticipated. According to Friedman, much of that hesitation stems from a lack of faith in the Oilers’ ability to remain competitive long-term.
Friedman emphasized the term “staying power” multiple times when discussing Edmonton, pointing out that the team is aging and lacks a strong core of game-changers to sustain future success. This casts doubt on the Oilers’ status as true contenders in the near future and this is something that deeply concerns McDavid, who is reportedly more determined than ever to win.
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“I've been told now by several people in the aftermath of that defeat, the second one has become even more fanatical about winning, like all he cared about was winning before, now he's in another stratosphere about it,” Friedman explained on the McDavid situation. “The only prescription is a Stanley Cup, and I think he sees it as he's got to go to another level, and the team has to be able to continue at another level.”
He also noted that when McDavid is asked about his long-term intentions with the Oilers, he only speaks in terms of the upcoming season. If top prospects like Matthew Savoie and Isaac Howard fail to make a real impact in the lineup and Edmonton underperforms, it could very well lead to McDavid walking away.
“I think that's exactly what this all comes down to, is that he thinks this team can win now, but he's not convinced that, if he signs for any kind of term three to five years from now, that he believes the team has the staying power now,” Friedman said. “The two losses have angered him and disappointed him and pained him so much that he will not allow himself to be put into a situation where he doesn't think he's capable of winning.”
The Jets would love to make a move at adding arguably the best player in the sport and who could help them over the hump. They could try to convince the superstar center that Winnipeg has the tools to win a Stanley Cup as they are the reigning President’s trophy winners that have established themselves as contenders over the last several years and have plenty of young talent on their roster.
The obvious caveat is available cap space enough to fit a player like McDavid that would command a large sum. This would likely require very difficult choices like letting go of several big name players and fan favourites like star winger and pending free agent Kyle Connor, team captain Adam Lowry, Gustav Nyquist and more. Nevertheless, if the desire is there from McDavid to join Winnipeg, what would that look like and how would the lineup shake out with all the adjustments?
Removing all three aforementioned players from the pay roll including bottom six forwards in Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson, would free up $15.6 million in cap space on top of the $3.96 million currently available. This would leave the Jets with $19.6 million in cap space, which could be enough for landing the Richmond Hill native but the rest of the lineup would see a major shakeup.
Potential Jets Forward Group With Connor McDavid:
Cole Perfetti - Connor McDavid - Gabe Vilardi
Nino Niederreiter - Mark Scheifele - Alex Iafallo
Morgan Barron - Vladislav Namestinkov - Nikita Chibrikov
Jaret Anderson-Dolan - Brayden Yager - Brad Lambert
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The addition of Cole Perfetti to the top line would be interesting as he would get to play with McDavid and could see Vilardi also hit a new level of production while Mark Schefiele slides into the second line spot and give the Jets one of, if not the best, second line centers in the league.
However, the depth of the Jets could be a weak spot as the team would be putting a lot of faith into three different rookie skaters. Barron would need to take a big step as a third-line option while Anderson-Dolan would need to improve on his game that got him demoted to the AHL last season. Experimenting with one or two rookie skaters could be worth a look as several teams like the Oilers are doing but three could make for a hectic, inexperienced lineup.
With leftover money, there’s the possibility the Jets could add someone into their bottom six group and add more experience into the lineup. The experiment would be a massive gamble on the part of Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff as he could make the necessary moves to add McDavid and then he opts to go elsewhere. It’s a risk that he likely wouldn’t take but if the Jets did want to add the best player in the world, that’s what it would take.
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