Media Bytes: McBroadway '28, Sully's Sorrow, Mulligan for Miller, Melancholy for Morrow

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Connor Cometh Soon?

1. Former New York Rangers agitator Sean Avery joined The Adam Friedland Show last week and, in no uncertain terms, suggested he believes Connor McDavid will sign with the New York Rangers two years from now, when the superstar forward's short-term extension with the Edmonton Oilers expires.

Earlier this week, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski discussed Avery's comments during an appearance on The Sheet with Jeff Marek, adding some context to remarks that largely flew under the hockey media radar.

"In that interview, [Avery] said—with some level of confidence and authority that I didn't anticipate hearing—that Connor McDavid would be a Ranger when his contract is up," Wyshynski said, recapping the interview. "There's been speculation along those lines, but I found it interesting that Avery was so emphatic about it."

Wyshynski added that he doesn't think many people in the hockey world actually listened to the interview—which may explain why the comment didn't gain much traction—but said he was still "startled" by how matter-of-fact Avery sounded. He also stopped short of dismissing it outright, noting that Avery is someone who likely still has "some tentacles into the MSG universe."

"That's all been in whisper circles for a long time," Marek replied, not dismissing the idea outright. But he quickly pivoted to another possibility: that a team closer to contention than the Rangers might be by then simply steps in and trades for McDavid before he ever reaches the open market.

In a vacuum, Avery's comments would be easy to write off as pot-stirring. But when you pair them with McDavid's comments last week in which he offered glowing praise for the coaching and structure of the Tampa Bay Lightning, it's harder to assume his connection to Edmonton is as ironclad as it once felt.

When the best player in the world leaves even the smallest loose thread, the rest of the league is going to start pulling.