Could it be that McDavid is telling us the truth when he’s doing these interviews, including the latest one from 32 Thoughts released Tuesday? This is a big life decision, hence the delay in signing a contract extension.

There’s no reason to believe otherwise.

Now, a McDavid interview is a particularly boring listen 99 per cent of the time — not helped by the Ocean’s Eleven hotel room type of setting and the repeated cuts back to Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas (seriously, what was that about?) — but in these panicked times, every exchange is scrutinized to the nth degree.

The problem is that you never glean much from a Connor McDavid. He listens to the question, scrunched forehead, slight lean, and looks down at the ground. He gives a sigh and subtle head bob before launching into his monotone reply.

If it’s a question that he isn’t going to answer, or really doesn’t have the answer for, like Friedman’s last one, a shrug is coming as well.

Many geniuses don’t give the full extent of what they think because the ramifications aren’t worth it. You’d love it if he took a truth serum to get his unvarnished feelings.

Friedman asked McDavid what the superstar needs to see from the Edmonton Oilers in order to sign.

“Truthfully, what do I need to see? I guess the answer is, nothing. You know, all the pieces are here for 25-26,” McDavid said.
“It’s going to be a feeling. It’s going to be when the time’s right, the moment’s right. I think it’ll just be a feeling. But as of right now, I’m just excited to get the season going really.”

In response to this, as you’d assume, corners of Oilers fandom ratcheted up the Panic Meter. My sarcastic columns have said that McDavid’s unsigned in Training Camp moves it up to a 2.5/10.

But I don’t care to hear from the mind-readers who think they know. We don’t know. Nor does this mean trade him this second. The Oilers are not going to act rashly.

As tight-lipped as McDavid over the years, he also doesn’t lie. Don’t mistake short replies for untruthfulness. He tells the truth as he sees it.

Is it 100 per cent his full perspective on every matter? No. Very few in the National Hockey League do. But it’s still by and large how he feels.

I’m inclined to believe what he says. I’m inclined to believe that he loves Edmonton, the franchise, and his friends on the team. Everything. There was no past tense in the interviews.

They’ve been to the brink of two emotionally exhausting Stanley Cup Final runs and been oh-so-close. That is draining.

He isn’t sure. My guess is that he is 80-90 per cent motivated to sign, and then there’s a second voice that isn’t sure. That raises questions about everything else.

A day removed from Chris Johnston’s report from The Athletic that the increasing age of the roster is holding him back, the ability to continue going the distance with a team that has already done it twice is as logical as it gets.

This is not some scheme to string along the team, and when the year’s done, have his bags already packed.

I suppose part of the reason I resonate with McDavid is that I just made a very big life decision myself. I had ultimate security at my job, was treated extremely well, and made pretty good money (for small-town media, that is).

Anyway, I left that behind and am taking a big risk monetarily and otherwise. The point being, I heeded and hawed on that decision for months. For months. So I get it. And we’ve all made trajectory-changing decisions in our lives.

“I’m excited to get going. Excited to get camp going, and getting into the routine of things. As far as all that other stuff goes, yeah, I’m not focused on it. Playing is the easy part. We’re getting to the easy part here.”

So what’s changed? Nothing. It’s always been McDavid’s show here. Things will happen when he wants them to.

At the same point, if you didn’t think there was even the possibility of McDavid not returning, that is and always was silly.

The most coveted hockey player is in a position few on Earth could fathom. And if the players can play and go to work with a final deadline nine months away from Connor’s decision, surely the fans can still watch.

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