Depending on your perception as a follower of other NHL teams, Toronto Maple Leafs fans are either optimistic, deluded, or outright arrogant. (We can think of more descriptive words, but not as suitable to type on this kind of platform.) When it comes to Connor McDavid, you can probably all three words to describe Leafs Nation.
There are plenty of Leafs fans, who believe their team has a divine right to snap up all the big names in hockey, including McDavid. And with him currently scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the conclusion of next season, some Torontonian hockey fans genuinely believe their team can snag the best player in the game today.
As we previously wrote, it just isn't going to happen though, especially now with Leon Draisaitl signed and sealed for the next eight seasons. We fully expect McDavid to follow a similar route prior to even making it to free agency, by re-signing to remain in Edmonton.
Of course this won't stop Leafs fans from keeping the fantasy alive, that the three-time Hart Trophy winner is going to return home to Ontario and sign with their beloved team. In fairness though, other teams will also likely be linked with him, with The Steve Dangle Podcast recently mentioning the New York Rangers.
McDavid and Matthews tease NHL fans
In any event, there was another round of speculation linking McDavid to the Leafs on Thursday, due to a social media interaction between him and Auston Matthews. Not known for the frequency of his activity online, the Oilers captain tagged Matthews, and simple wrote: "Crossbar and in, let's see it".
As you can imagine, this got NHL fans everywhere buzzing and wondering what was going on, with some taking to social media to claim this was a sign that McDavid was indeed going to sign with the Leafs. To be clear though, this time around there was a lot more fun surrounding the comments, as opposed to taking it too seriously.
However, just in case there was anyone believing McDavid is destined for Toronto, slightly more clarity came on Friday, courtesy of Matthews' reply to number 97 on social media. He wrote: "Bet you can't hit a billboard from 50 feet".
The duo coming together, but not with the Leafs
This led to speculation that the duo are set to appear in an advert together. This theory only gained momentum, when making reference to a message McDonald's posted on social media. The Canadian headquarters of the fast food restaurant chain wrote: "Something's about to change the game forever".
With the connection of McDonald's and the comments by McDavid and Matthews, thoughts turned to a 1980s advert featuring Michael Jordan and Larry Bird competing for a Big Mac. Closer to home, there was another McDonald's advert in the 1990s, featuring Wayne Gretzky and Mats Sundin.
Until official confirmation comes out, NHL fans will be kept guessing to a certain extent, although it does seem clear what's actually going on. In any event, the fantasy of McDavid signing in Toronto will remain intact, no matter how off-target it is; in fact, the equivalent of being well off the mark trying to hit a billboard from 50 feet.