The Ducks haven’t been actively shopping the signing rights to restricted free agent Mason McTavish, but that hasn’t stopped teams from expressing trade interest, as the center remains without a contract. Fervent interest will presumably be helped along by his essentially dominating the market for young centers. Wild RFA Marco Rossi’s talks have all but dried up with little to no interest league-wide in the long-term contract he desires. The Canadiens, Hurricanes, and Red Wings have all shown serious interest – the last club chief among them, James Murphy of RG writes.
Without much talk of an offer sheet, a notion sources told Murphy to dispel with Anaheim having ample space to match, McTavish has little control over his destiny. Speculation has indicated he’s concerned about his long-term role with the Ducks after their offseason shopping spree added needed depth to their forward group, but there’s little to no appetite from the Ducks’ end to facilitate a trade unless he outright refuses to sign a contract.
All the teams interested have a clear need for a second-line center. Unlike in SoCal, where there’s still a small chance for him to compete with Leo Carlsson for long-term 1C duties, there wouldn’t be that upward mobility there for him with Nick Suzuki in Montreal and Sebastian Aho in Carolina not vacating their posts anytime soon. The Wings have the weakest top pivot out of the group in Dylan Larkin, but he still wouldn’t be walking into Day 1 first-line duties there if that’s his goal.
While McTavish may have the standard profile of a high-motor but not hugely offensively untapped 2C, his performance last season shows there could be more to behold. The 22-year-old posted a team-leading 22 goals in 76 games, and his 52 points finished three back of Troy Terry for the team lead. That’s highly impressive production in an offensively stifled system under outgoing head coach Greg Cronin, and with his 12.2% shooting rate remaining projectable, there’s significant 65-to-75-point breakout potential for him this season as the team presumably adopts a more aggressive style under Joel Quenneville.
If Anaheim begins entertaining offers for the 6’1″ pivot’s signing rights, though, they’ll be looking for a blue-chip right-shot defense prospect as the principal point of the return, Murphy reports. That means names like 2023 first-rounders Axel Sandin-Pellikka would need to be in play in Detroit’s case, or that year’s No. 5 pick David Reinbacher in Montreal’s. Draft-capital-wise, it’s logical from the Ducks’ perspective after using the No. 3 overall pick on McTavish in 2021.
Mason McTavish is Anaheim’s best center.
Over Leo Carlsson?? Do you really think so?
How is Trotz not one of the GM’s in on McTavish? Sigh. :/
For what?? Nsh will stink this year, they should have tried to trade forsberg
They’ll stink even worse if they don’t do something about the center position.
McT should be and hopefully soon will be BOTH our No. 1 center and our Captain. Coach Q will have a lot to do with both. Wait abs see!
I think McTavish is excellent but I just don’t see the Habs trading Reinbacher when he will be on an entry level contract vs McTavish making $7-$8 million.
And a few months ago the Habs traded highly rated RD prospect Mailoux to St. Louis. They won’t trade another one in Reinbacher who they took while passing on Michkov.
As much as I’d love to see McTavish in Montreal I don’t see a trade happening what Anaheim will rightfully want back.
Would a Brandon Carlo, Kampf(for salary), Robertson, Domi deal work?
It works as a joke. If it wasn’t meant as a joke, that makes it funnier
Literally spare parts and a once promising prospect in Robertson for a gritty potential star centreman who has already shown really good numbers in the NHL. Quantity doesn’t make up for the complete lack of quality my friend.
Mct is no star. He’s a #2 centre with 70 pt potential. Also he’s holing out. Leafs could add a 1st in 28 or Cowan although I don’t think Ana wants the 1st. Carlo went for a 1st as well so that’s his value. Points are not the be all end all and it takes different types of players to make a winner.
Go back to bed kid.
Laffy for McT.
flyers should offer brink and bonk for mctavish and 2nd or 3rd,would give them a solid def prospect and a great young winger.and give the flyers that big center to replace coots who is getting older and needs to be a 3 with less ice time to try to keep him healthy.use cates as a 2 or zegras until luchenko arrives.
No way Yzerman deals ASP. His offensive ceiling is arguably higher than Mctavish’s. With that being said, if the Wings can acquire him in exchange for someone like Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard or Nate Danielson, I say do it. In a year, people will be saying Detroit has one of the deepest center groups in the league with Larkin, Mctavish, and Kasper down the middle.
Mac n Cheese is fun to watch. Has energy galore. Always a smile. Kid loves to play. I really hope the Ducks use a chunk of the savings from the Zegras debacle and get him into the fold for the long run.
Carolina is passing out long term deals like so many nickels and dimes.