Lauren McDavid has just answered the Toronto Maple Leafs rumours surrounding Connor McDavid, and she didn't take long to do it.
The talk of the Oilers captain landing in Toronto won't go away, and it landed on a morning when the Leafs are in no mood for more noise. They lost 6-3 to Colorado last night, their fourth straight defeat.
Bleed Oil Blue posted this morning that Lauren McDavid tried on clothes from different NHL teams, Leafs gear included, and shut the rumours down fast.
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Her message was short: "we are just wearing this for show, we are not going to toronto."
It's a light moment, and that's all it is. A joke about team merchandise settles nothing about where McDavid plays in the future, and nobody should treat it as a contract update.
Still, the fact that the question keeps coming says plenty about the pressure on Toronto. The Leafs sit 23rd in the NHL at 8-10-2, and John Chayka's team has a goal differential of -3.
Why the Toronto talk keeps following McDavid
Part of it is simple geography. McDavid was born in Richmond Hill, Ontario, and the Leafs are the team every superstar from Ontario gets linked to sooner or later.
Part of it is the calendar. His contract runs through 2027-28 and he has not signed an extension, so every offseason brings a fresh round of speculation. We looked at Wayne Gretzky's bold prediction for Connor McDavid last weekend, and that story lived in the same chase-the-record, what-comes-next conversation.
The Oilers, meanwhile, are doing nothing to make him want out. They're 13-3-3, first in the Pacific Division, and unbeaten in regulation on the road at 7-0-1. McDavid has 48 points in 19 games.
A video of someone trying on a jersey is not a reason to believe a move is coming, and it's not a reason to believe one isn't. It's a reminder that the Toronto chatter will follow him until he signs.
Edmonton hosts Philadelphia tonight, and the only thing McDavid has to answer is the scoresheet. We'll keep tabs on whether the rumour mill has anything real to say.
Quick hits
MINNESOTA WILD: Martin St-Louis thinks Quinn Hughes "sold" the late slashing call on Cole Caufield that helped the Wild beat Montreal on Tuesday night. The Canadiens coach clearly didn't love it.
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WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Alexander Ovechkin tied Nicklas Backstrom for the most assists in Capitals history Tuesday night. Washington beat Ottawa 3-2 in overtime, which is a fitting way to do it.
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NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Sheldon Keefe says a change on the power play is "not too far away" after a 0-for-4 night in Winnipeg. Expect new faces on the top unit soon.
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OTTAWA SENATORS: Nick Cousins is the biggest question in Ottawa this morning after Travis Green said, "He's not doing great." The Senators will want clarity fast.
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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Beat writer Erik Erlendsson reports that 20-year-old Sam O'Reilly makes his NHL debut tonight in Buffalo. The Lightning are down their top center, so it's a big chance.
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
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