With Marco Rossi off the board, the top remaining restricted-free agent at forward is almost certainly Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish. The 22-year-old remains unsigned as September nears, pushing him to the very top of late-summer trade rumors. But despite growing discussion of a potential move, Eric Stephens of The Athletic emphasized that McTavish isn’t going anywhere.
In a recent mailbag, Stephens pointed out that – while plenty of teams need high-upside forwards – the Ducks have far too much need for their own center with upside. He added that the holdup in re-signing McTavish is the team’s desire to avoid a bridge contract, and ink one of their top scorers to a long-term contract.
McTavish always seemed unlikely to part from the Anaheim organization. He plays a style that’s confidently in-line with the preference of general manager Pat Verbeek, and both former head coach Greg Cronin and future head coach Joel Quenneville. McTavish was also one of the Ducks’ top offensive pieces last season, leading the team with 22 goals and ranking second with 52 points through 76 games on the season. The only player to outscore the young center was veteran winger Troy Terry, who finished the year with 55 points.
That’s a glowing performance for a player so young. While many players his age are still working towards breaking into the NHL, McTavish has already firmly planted his feet. He’s totaled 58 goals and 137 points in 220 games over the last three seasons – an average of 22 goals and 51 points per every 82 games. The 2021 third-overall selection also worked his way up to an even plus-minus last season, after recording a minus-19 and minus-23 in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons respectively.
More than finding his way to the top of Anaheim’s scoring charts, McTavish’s seemed to find a new layer of confidence last season. He emerged as one of the club’s top play-drivers, and the perfect skillful complement to the brute of Leo Carlsson. That mental improvement, and lineup fit, should set McTavish up for a huge season next year. He’ll enter the season as perhaps the best bet for the top-line center role under Quenneville’s guidance.
With a 30-goal and 60-point season seemingly within reach for McTavish, it only makes sense that Anaheim want to solidify his salary for the future as soon as they can. But finding the right price will be a challenge. The Chicago Blackhawks recently signed 21-year-old Frank Nazar to a seven-year, $46.2MM contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks. That deal came after Nazar played in just 56 career games, and scored at a 40-point pace.
Those numbers are far flatter than the 60 goals and 140 points McTavish has totaled in 229 career games – likely earning the Ducks’ star a salary far above Nazar’s $6.6MM cap hit. Anaheim may need to be ready to spend $7MM or even $8MM on McTavish in order to buy a long-term extension. While that will require careful budgeting, it will put no stress on the Ducks’ 2025-26 season. They sit with more than $20.5MM in available cap space entering next season, with only McTavish left to sign.
A hardy extension for McTavish could be the Ducks’ first true stride towards a new era. He’s a high-impact centerman, with the skill to drive play and the heft to fit in a physical Ducks lineup. While rumors continue to swirl, Stephens assures that Anaheim will take that step forward sooner rather than later.
That be an insane 3 year deal
5 for 7.5 would be perfect
I sure hope that if they don’t bridge him, they buy him for 6-7 years and control when he hits UFA a little longer. It’s either 3 and still RFA or 6+.
7×7.5 seems fair to me. Ducks have the space. Just do it. You aren’t going to get a similar player in return and they’re expecting to improve this year. You do that with a guy like McTavish, not with more draft picks.
@stu18germanator. I think it more about next year. Pretty sure Gauthier, Carlsson, Zellweger, lacombe and mintyukov are RFA’S. It’s going to get tight. Everyone is looking at 5+ atleast.
Why wouldn’t they want to resign him? McTavish is going to be a star, And he’s currently the Ducks best center.
It’s gonna be 7 x $8M before he signs.
As good as McTavish is 7x8mil is too much for him. That price is more for a forward who can regularly hit 60 to 65 points per year. He just isn’t there yet and “if” he is closing in on his offensive ceiling that would be a long overpay. McTavish has had a slow but steady increase the past three years but that doesn’t mean the Ducks should overpay for the potential of a 65+ point per season. IF they didn’t have so many high end young players needing extensions next year, maybe they could overreach but they have to be carful, that cap can be reached real fast.
But they have Gudas and Trouba coming off the books next year and Killorn the following year. I’d imagine they try to extend Trouba but that AAV needs to get cut in half, at least!
McTavish should be signed to a nice pay raise and long contract but he may want too much. Rossi’s three year deal probably sets a more realistic value for what McTavish is worth in his career right now. Nasar’s contract is a an overpay at this point and could very well backfire if he doesn’t start hitting or coming close to 60 points per season sooner than later. I think McTavish is better than both these players but there is only so much a responsible team can pay before they are just gambling on and overpaying for future potential that may not materialize. Even though McTavish is probably worth around 6 to 6.5 mil per season, with some other overpays out there the Ducks will probably have to go 7 mil to get things done. A slight overpay in pro hockey terms won’t destroy the team and if he does become a 60 to 70 point per season player it will be well worth it down the line. Hoping the Ducks get him for 6 years x 7 mil. 7 x 7 would be perfect.
All the supposed leaks about McTavish being traded were likely to drive up his contract numbers.
McTavish for Matthews… and some other stuff lol
All very easy to say. Only McTavish has himself said he’s concerned with his utilization and future deployment on the team. Seems like he has zero motivation to play behind Carlsson and Granlund for an Anaheim front office he’s clashed with over and over again. McTavish will be moved by camp or be sitting out part of the season. Bet on it.
Except McT hasn’t said that. That was some writer speculating based on Anaheim bringing in Granlund and drafting McQueen. Anaheim likely views Granlund as a RW and McQueen is 2-3 years away. And when did the Ducks clash with him? He has been playing under his rookie contract and is an RFA for 3 more years! I will gladly take your bet based on you posting nonsense.
No love lost between Verbeek and McTavish. Quenneville is too little too late.
Rumors are McTavish camp was looking for an offer sheet all summer. Go figure. Too much smoke for their not to be fire.
The Hurricanes want to sign him long term as well. Nikishin, Nadeau and picks.