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It probably won't happen this summer, although you never know.
But the Edmonton Oilers' season-ending loss on Thursday night pushed them closer to one of the biggest decisions they'll ever have to make: Should they trade Connor McDavid?
And for McDavid, the question somewhere in his mind will grow ever louder: Should we request a move out of town?
Those are the kinds of things that feel more urgent immediately following a season-ending loss. The Oilers won the series opener against the Anaheim Ducks, then dropped four of the next five to get sent home in the first round.
After two consecutive seasons of losing in the Stanley Cup Finals, these Oilers didn't even win a playoff series.
"We were an average team all year," McDavid told reporters after the game. "When you're an average team with high expectations, you're going to be disappointed."
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The trade reality isn't so much an immediate thing as it becomes a bit of a ticking time bomb.
Before this season, McDavid signed a contract extension for two years. It meant he wouldn't be a free agent this summer, and instead he still has two years to go.
But that's not a long-term commitment. That's basically removing the across-the-board stress of a contract year while also acknowledging that this thing better get figured out in a hurry.
A first-round loss isn't figuring it out. A first-round loss raises all the questions.
For the Oilers, it wouldn't make sense to just let McDavid walk in two years' time. For McDavid, it doesn't make sense to waste two more prime years if this isn't the best place for him to win.
Maybe the trade rumors are big this summer, or maybe it's next trade deadline or next offseason.
At some point, they're coming. A disappointing end like the one Thursday night only brings them closer.
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