The National Hockey League is ready to build on some of last season’s history-making moments, but there are a few roadblocks as training camps opened on Thursday. Some of the game’s biggest stars could be on the trading block in the near future.
Every team in the league has been chasing the Florida Panthers for the last two seasons, and that could once again be the case in 2025-26. The Panthers managed to re-sign high-priced stars Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand to make a run at a three-peat. Those moves have ramped up the pressure on everyone else.
Will McDavid sign an extension in Edmonton?
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Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers, has the NHL’s largest salary in the 2025-26 season at $14 million.
The Panthers’ Stanley Cup Finals opponent the last two seasons wants to keep pace. There’s just one issue: the league’s best player, Connor McDavid, is entering the final year of his 8-year, $100 million contract, and though the Oilers have offered an extension, he hasn’t signed it. McDavid wants assurances that the Oilers will do what it takes to get over the hump and win a Stanley Cup. General manager Stan Bowman said he talks to McDavid daily but doesn’t have to give him a sales pitch.
“He does ask me about, like, where do I envision things,” Bowman said. “We talked about this year, too. We’ve talked about what did we do well last year. What do we think we could change or should change? So I would say it’s not limited to just one thing, but it does definitely touch on the future.”
If the two sides don’t agree on a deal, a mid-season trade could shake up the entire league. McDavid could also become a free agent at the end of the season, which could start the biggest bidding war in league history.
Will Kirill Kaprizov stay in Minnesota?
A similar scenario is playing out in Minnesota, where 28-year-old superstar Kirill Kaprizov rejected an 8-year, $128 million contract that would have made him the highest-paid player in the league.
He’s on the same timeline as McDavid: sign a new deal, be traded or become a free agent at year’s end. Kaprizov said Thursday he wants to remain in Minnesota. General manager Bill Guerin believes a deal will get done, but it’s no sure thing.
“These negotiations are private. I can’t really get into it,” Guerin said. “Things are fine. The most important thing is that we want to sign Kirill. He’s our franchise player. We want to keep him here. He’s a big part of our team. We’re working towards that. We’re doing the best we can.”
Is Sidney Crosby on the trading block?
The original generational talent of the modern era, 38-year-old Sidney Crosby, could also be on the trading block. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas doesn’t know where the rumors started, but on Thursday, he said he’s going to rebuild the Penguins his way, regardless of what it means for Crosby, who is about to begin his 21st season in the league.
“We can’t alter the course that we’re on — which is to bring the team back into a team that can contend for the Stanley Cup year in year out — because of what different media members may want, where they may want to see Sid play, different things of that nature,” Dubas said. “We have to focus on what’s right for the Pittsburgh Penguins.”
Crosby addressed the rumors on Monday, saying he loves Pittsburgh and wants to finish his career with the Penguins.
“This is where I want to be,” Crosby said. “I love it here. I can’t keep having to answer the same questions over and over again. People want to write about that or say that, that’s fine. I can’t really control that. When you lose, and certain things happen, it’s normal for that stuff to come up. But that’s how I feel.”
It is said in sports that there is no such thing as an immovable star. Wayne Gretzky, considered the greatest hockey player in history, was traded several times during his Hall of Fame career, a thought that has fans in certain cities feeling a little anxious before the puck drops on Oct. 7.
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