NHL Rumours: McDavid Trade Destinations, Houston Expansion Soon & Capitals Extensions

In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we start off by looking at three teams that Connor McDavid could look to join if he is to leave the Edmonton Oilers. Next, expansion is on the horizon, and Houston looks to be joining the NHL sooner than many expected.

Finally, the Washington Capitals are looking at a pair of their young forwards and getting ready to shell out some big contracts.

3 Options for McDavid if He Leaves Oilers

With McDavid’s two-year extension kicking in this offseason, he has done the team a massive favour by opting out of a pay increase and giving two more seasons of his services at a very reasonable cap hit.

The Oilers have made it to two Stanley Cup Finals over the past three seasons, followed by a first-round exit in 2025-26. McDavid has his eyes set on winning, and if they don’t reach that while he is on this current contract, he could leave.

E.J. Hradek from the NHL Network joined the Bleed Oil Blue podcast and discussed the future of the NHL’s best player.

Hradek mentioned the New York Rangers as a destination, with their cap space being a big factor. Of course, playing at Madison Square Garden 41 times per year is a big honour on its own, but the Rangers have a projected $54 million in cap space for the 2027-28 season, when McDavid would need a new extension.

Joining the Rangers on that list were the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.

Looking at both teams, they aren’t necessarily on the cusp of a championship, but both teams need a top centre, have a lot of great pieces, especially on the wings, and have enough young assets to look at a long run of success.

When looking at the McDavid situation, it all boils down to winning. If he can win in Edmonton, he will probably be staying. If he feels like he has a better chance to win somewhere else, and it is a destination that could add him, he may look to take that chance instead.

Houston Could Play in 2029-30 Season

While there are plenty of things left to do before anything is official, deputy commissioner Bill Daly has indicated that Houston will likely be the next destination for an NHL team, and they could be playing as soon as the 2029-30 season.

There have been conversations about expansion, with cities like Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix getting teams. Daly told The Athletic that the Friedkin business group has agreed to pay a $2 billion expansion fee, and the decision between Houston and Austin will come down to the arean plans. (from NHL’s Bill Daly says expansion team in Houston or Austin could play by 2029-30, The Athletic, Aug. 22, 2026)

Daly added, “They’re projecting the ability to start play in 2029-30…so we will have one down and potentially one to go. We have ongoing discussions both with people in the Phoenix marketplace, but also Atlanta, and then we’ll see what comes of those discussions.”

There has been some concern from fans regarding the player pool, and if continuing to add teams would dilute the talent too much. Adding two more teams adds a minimum of 46 more roster spots in the league, but the NHL has never been in a better state.

Capitals Working on Extensions for Leonard, Sourdif

In a summer full of ludacris restricted free agent contracts and extensions, the Capitals are looking to get extensions done for both Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif.

While neither will command the $15 million salary that Connor Bedard got, with the rising salary cap, they will get a good chunk of change.

In his first full NHL season, Leonard posted 20 goals and 45 points, while also holding some great analytics. For a rookie, it’s hard to ask for much more than he offered. He is still just 21 years old, and looks to be on a great trajectory in his career.

Sourdif was acquired from the Florida Panthers for a second and sixth-round draft pick after posting 37 points in the American Hockey League as a 23-year-old. That trade turned some heads at the time, but after his rookie season in the NHL, the Capitals found some great value with that deal.

He posted 15 goals and 35 points, while also providing great defensive efforts, and should be a part of the team for the foreseeable future.

AFP Analytics has a long-term extension for Leonard at a salary jsut under $8 million, while Sourdif is projected to get a four-year deal just over $5 million annually.

If the Capitals could find a way to lock both in around $13 million total, they will be able to continue to keep the deepest forward group in the NHL, and with $19 million in space for next season and few extensions to hand out, their cap situations looks better and better.