THN's Michael Augello sets the record straight on the speculative rumors linking Edmonton’s captain to the Maple Leafs, detailing the specific conditions required for a potential homecoming.
The Hockey News' own Michael Augello responded to a message I sent him asking if he'd seen how viral his comments on Connor McDavid had been going. His response? ""I don't know why... I said it was another reporter's theory... and it was conditional on the Leafs being good, and even then it's not guaranteed!"
That's exactly what I thought when I saw and heard the clip of Augello saying that a reporter told him he saw a world in which the Edmonton Oilers captain might be willing to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Augello is an astute reporter and not someone prone to making a statement just to generate clicks. But, his comments were akin to the scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off when Kristy Swanson's character responds to the teacher about why Ferris isn't in class..., "Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious.”
In other words, there were a lot of ifs, ors, buts, coulds, mights, and other conjunctions that suggested this was little more than an opinion being expressed out loud in a conversation. It was anything but a given.
Despite him merely repeating the context of a simple conversation, Augello's comments spread like wildfire. Fans weighed in as though the reporter, who mainly covers the Buffalo Sabres, had some sort of insider information on a conversation McDavid might have had, revealing his intentions to walk from the Oilers.
That was never the case, something to which Augello freely admits.
Honestly, there really wasn't anything outrageous with his original comments:
''I was told by another reporter, that's just his theory and I won't share his name, but you know talking in the press box about McDavid and he said ''McDavid wants to play in Toronto, it's just the question what type of team the Leafs are'' [...] If the Leafs are good, their chances of getting McDavid are good because I think he would want to play in Toronto if they pay him. If they are not good, there's not a chance.".
Look again at these comments. There's nothing here, at least nothing to suggest that McDavid is eyeing a jump to Toronto.
When I told Augello I was going to write something on this and asked if he wanted to make any other comments to clarify his position or respond to his words being taken out of context by certain fans, he offered the following:
"I think the uproar is humorous; the scenario is conditional on Toronto being good in two years... I provided more circumstantial evidence for it by saying that if you look at all the contracts and cap space that will open up for Toronto in two years (8 UFAs), Matthews and McDavid (and Werenski, btw) have the same agents... It was floating a potential scenario."
When I told Augello I could see that as a possibility, but also mentioned that Toronto is really no different than many other teams McDavid might consider if he ever chose to test the market as a UFA, Augello said, "Exactly, if Toronto is good, they have a decent chance of getting him. That doesn't mean they are guaranteed to get him, because a New York or Los Angeles or a team that has a better chance of winning the Cup could swoop in."
McDavid to Toronto comments was little more than a theory that went viral, says AugelloWhat if McDavid Wins a Stanley Cup with the Oilers?
An interesting thought might be what happens if Edmonton wins the Stanley Cup with McDavid. Ironically, Toronto's chances of landing him could increase.
Once he's already got his Cup under his belt, the equation might change. If McDavid wins in Edmonton, something he's been trying to do for a decade, the missing piece on his already legendary resume will no longer be missing. He wants to add to his legacy by winning it with the team that drafted him. He wants to win it with his friends. McDavid wants to bring a Cup back to Edmonton.
Once he's done that, it's hard to know what he wants. Playing for his hometown team and bringing back a Cup to Toronto -- where they haven't won since 1967 -- could be high on his list.
Again, this is just a theory. It's the opinion of this author only. I asked if Augello wanted to add a quote and he understandably declined, noting, "It's just a theory on top of a theory, on top of a theory."
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