New Development in Connor McDavid's Contract Talks Fuels Maple Leafs Speculation

Another day passes in the NHL offseason, and while things have slowed down considerably from the beginning of the month, there are still some moves to be made, extensions to be signed, and preparation to be made for this season and beyond.

However, the biggest story to follow this season seems to be the future of Connor McDavid, considering he hasn't signed an extension yet which is strange considering how deeply engrained he is in the Edmonton community.

Well, according to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, the uncertainty continues as he revealed there have been zero talks between the two regarding an extension as of yet:

Granted, we are only in mid-July with a lot of time for an extension to happen, as we've seen several times in the past it can creep into the preseason and even right before the start of the regular season in October.

But if he was so dead set on staying out in Alberta with his best friend and a legacy akin to godly status, then why hasn't he signed yet? Edmonton clearly is going to want to keep him, and they have to have things set aside to facilitate that extension.

Though, what if he doesn't? He instantly becomes the biggest free agent target well, ever. There's a huge chance he also becomes the first player to earn that $20-million per season contract; an otherwise unheard of number in the NHL.

31 other teams are going to be fighting tooth and nail for a chance to even field an offer, and the Maple Leafs are going to need to put in a heck of a package to bring him here.

Offering the chance to win a Stanley Cup for his childhood team is a good start, so is a potential one-two punch with Auston Matthews, plus the amount of fan adoration and endorsements can push his salary from enormous to astronomical.

Toronto will need to make some changes to get McDavid however, as they can't really afford to do much without shipping out some extra money to save as much as possible (which is why we haven't seen much big money spending this offseason) and every dollar they can put towards McDavid is money well spent.

Coming off another incredible season with Edmonton, McDavid has an absurd 1,082 points in only 712 games (361 goals, 721 assists) and won basically everything under the sun besides a Stanley Cup.

Maple Leafs fans are going to be waiting with bated breath this season to see what Connor McDavid thinks about his future.

The more we we hear nothing from him, the more noise it brings.