Are the Connor McDavid to Colorado Avalanche rumors realistic?

One of the teams rumored to be on Connor McDavid’s radar is the Colorado Avalanche. The speculation is nothing new, but kicked into high gear when the Oilers captain stated he was in no rush to re-sign in Edmonton.

While McDavid landing in Colorado would create a “dream team,” as my colleague Graham Tiedtke explored, the broader question is: Are the Connor McDavid to the Colorado Avalanche rumors realistic?

Let’s dig in.

The first issue is the salary cap. McDavid, depending on who you ask, could get upwards of $14 million per season. Paul Bissonnette, for instance, went off the rails proclaiming that McDavid could get $18 million per season.

Now, let’s pause here for a second. I’m afraid I’d have to call BS on the McDavid rumors because paying him more than Nathan MacKinnon just isn’t in line with the way the Avalanche have conducted business.

The entire subtext behind the Mikko Rantanen trade earlier this season was Rantanen’s reported $13 million asking price. Colorado wasn’t willing to meet that, so off to Carolina he went.

Based on that premise, would the Avalanche all of a sudden back up the Brinks truck for Connor McDavid? Possibly, but largely implausible.

The other major hurdle would be cap space. Yes, the Avalanche would have cap space to play with after this upcoming season. PuckPedia shows that the Avs currently have roughly $74 million committed after next season.

With the cap increasing to $113.5 million for the 2026-27 season, the Avalanche are projected to have a shade under $40 million to play with. But bear in mind that Cale Makar will need a new contract in 2027. So, would it be feasible to sign McDavid and then Makar?

It’s doable but it would tie up the Avs’ cap situation on three players: McDavid, MacKinnon, and Makar. While that trio would be enviable, the team still needs to round out a competent supporting cast. Otherwise, it would be useless to bring in McDavid to play with a host of league-minimum guys.

Colorado Avalanche don’t need Connor McDavid

The harsh reality of life is that the Colorado Avalanche don’t really need Connor McDavid. The team already has Nathan MacKinnon. Of course, having McDavid would be nice. But then again, where would he play?

Does MacKinnon play second fiddle to McDavid like he did on Team Canada? Does McDavid acknowledge that he’s the new guy and takes a backseat to MacKinnon?

If we judge how McDavid and MacKinnon played on Team Canada, MacKinnon could be just fine with McDavid taking plenty of heat off him. Perhaps we could see Makar play with McDavid instead, giving the Avalanche a powerhouse speedster duo.

But don’t the Avalanche already have that?

As nice as the idea of Connor McDavid going to Colorado sounds, the fact is that this situation could cause more problems than solutions. The Oilers have had a similar combo in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and it still hasn’t been enough to win a Stanley Cup.

What the Avalanche really need is a solid supporting cast. A bona fide second-line center and a top-six winger will do well to help the Avalanche for far in the playoffs next season.