Oilers' Connor McDavid rumors are eerily quiet

There was a lot of Connor McDavid chatter.

Would a trade come this offseason, or at next trade deadline, or maybe next summer? The Edmonton Oilers certainly could have to answer those questions eventually.

But something odd happened in the last week or so: People stopped talking about it.

The Oilers hired head coach Mike Babcock, which at least removed one layer of uncertainty.

The NHL Draft also took the stage, which pushed some other narratives into the background just a bit.

In reality, though, nothing has changed.

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The Oilers have two years left on McDavid's current contract. They have yet to win a Stanley Cup with him. They're running out of time.

Sure, a trade this summer was always unlikely, but it could still become a conversation piece at some point before the season returns.

And certainly, it's something not to forget about.

The Oilers, if they don't trend toward winning a Stanley Cup, will eventually have a tough decision to make.

If things are going well, maybe McDavid would sign a longer extension with them.

If things aren't going right, though, he may want a trade. They may want to trade him for value rather than lose him for nothing.

So don't be totally deceived by the lack of McDavid rumors right now. That doesn't mean all the uncertainty has been removed.

It just means, for right now, the Oilers are in a holding pattern. The storm could still be coming.

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