The NHL rumor mill has officially entered peak offseason form. Over the past several days, speculation linking Connor McDavid to the Montreal Canadiens gained surprising traction online after reports surfaced suggesting the Oilers superstar had been spotted in Montreal during Formula 1 weekend and was allegedly looking at houses in the area. That was enough to send social media into a frenzy.

The idea of McDavid potentially preparing for a future move to Montreal quickly spread among fans, with some treating the rumor as a legitimate development rather than offseason speculation.

Unfortunately for those dreaming of seeing No. 97 in a Canadiens jersey, the story appears to have been built on a major misunderstanding. According to TVA Sports insider Renaud Lavoie, McDavid was not in Montreal house shopping at all. In fact, Lavoie reported that the Edmonton captain wasn’t even in the city. It was rather McDavid’s wife, Lauren Kyle McDavid who had traveled to the city to attend an event after receiving an invitation.

That’s it.

Yet somehow, a routine visit by the spouse of one of hockey’s biggest stars turned into one of the hottest trade rumors of the summer.

The situation highlights just how desperate fans are for blockbuster offseason news, particularly when it involves a player of McDavid’s stature.

And we all know Montreal loves a good juicy rumour.

Last summer, speculation linked Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby to Montreal. Before that, other superstar names found themselves dragged into similar rumors. Who knows, next summer, it could easily be McDavid again, or perhaps Auston Matthews, or even Brady Tkachuk!

For now, however, there appears to be no evidence that McDavid was touring homes, planning a move, or preparing for a dramatic departure from Edmonton.