The Ducks Have Had An Uneven Offseason
The Anaheim Ducks finished last season feeling pretty good about the gains the team had made, going from a non-playoff team to a second-round elimination. At the time, Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek stated that the team would continue to build around its young core while attempting to add complementary veterans. That was around mid-May, and since then the Ducks have done a lot of roster shuffling, and not much of it has been good. The Ducks have effectively lost the entire right side of their defensive core, have been targeted by offer sheets (or the threat of offer sheets) twice, and now they are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to forward Cutter Gauthier’s next extension. All in all, it’s been a forgettable two months for Verbeek and company, and it’s tough to imagine how they will navigate the noise to enter next season with a roster better than the one they had this past year.
The offseason began with the announcement that Troy Terry would miss the first few months of the regular season after hip impingement surgery. The timing isn’t ideal for the Ducks, but it was certainly a better option than having the surgery mid-season or at the start of the regular season. The 28-year-old is a big piece of the Ducks’ offence, and they will feel his absence in the early going next season.
The transactions this offseason started inconspicuously with Anaheim trading the rights to a couple of pending UFAs, John Carlson and Radko Gudas. Anaheim even picked up forward A.J. Greer in the Gudas swap and signed him to a four-year deal worth $4.25MM per season. Greer is a big risk for the Ducks, as he’s had just one career season with more than 30 points, and it happened this past season, when he shot 16.3%, nearly double his career average. Greer could be just scratching the surface of his potential, but at 29 years of age, that feels unlikely.
Next came the Mason McTavish trade with the St. Louis Blues, which was probably the best piece of business Anaheim has done this summer. McTavish struggled immensely last season and was demoted from a top-six center to a bottom-six winger at one point. The deal sent two first-round picks to Anaheim, a solid return for a player whose skating and defensive work made moving him feel like the right decision for Anaheim. It remains to be seen whether McTavish will live up to the potential that made him a third-overall pick, but that will be the Blues’ concern now.
Around the same time as the trade, general manager Verbeek brought in veteran defenseman Nick Jensen to replace the losses on the right side of the defense core. Jensen has been a dependable NHL defender for a long time, but at this stage of his career it’s hard to consider him a top-four fixture, even though he shouldn’t be, given what he’s being paid and where his skills are at. Jensen could be a good fit on the bottom pairing in Anaheim, but if he is elevated in the lineup for any reason, he could struggle. Right now, it appears that Ian Moore and Tristan Luneau could be the top four options in front of Jensen, but that would leave a pile of question marks for Anaheim’s defense.
Then there are the contract extensions, and let’s just say these did not go to plan for Verbeek and company. A Philadelphia Flyers offer sheet to forward Leo Carlsson effectively iced the Ducks out of looking at many other moves, and the threat of an offer sheet boxed the Ducks in during contract negotiations with defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who signed a five-year extension worth $36MM ($7.2MM AAV). It was the Carlsson offer sheet for five years at $18MM annually that absolutely threw a wrench into the Ducks’ long-term plans and is highly likely to throw their entire salary cap structure out of whack. With Carlsson now the highest-paid player in the league, the attention now turns to Cutter Gauthier and his extension, which was projected earlier this year to be around seven years at $8.8MM annually. That projection came at a time when Carlsson was projected to get roughly $11.5MM on his long-term deal, but those figures are all moot at this point given the escalation in spending that has occurred this offseason. The Gauthier extension is huge for the Ducks and could really burn through their future cap flexibility, which has been badly damaged this summer.
Ultimately, the Ducks have no one to blame but themselves for the mess they’ve made this summer, particularly with the contracts for their young stars. Verbeek long had been known as a GM who was a tough negotiator with young players, and now that has come back to bite him. The good news for Verbeek was that he didn’t commit to long-term deals for aging stars, though he has done that in the past and might be forced to move some of them (Alex Killorn, for example) to create the room under the salary cap to fit Gauthier’s new deal. Another silver lining (in the short term) is that Verbeek moved off McTavish’s deal, which should allow the team to be cap-compliant next season. But if McTavish flourishes in St. Louis, his deal will look like a massive bargain and could turn out to be another blemish on Verbeek’s record in a summer where he took his lumps.
Examining The Blues’ Offseason Thus Far
Now that the dust has settled on the NHL Entry Draft and the early days of free agency, it’s fair to begin making sense of the direction certain teams are headed. One of the busier and more interesting teams this offseason has been the St. Louis Blues, who have taken a no-holds-barred approach to retooling their roster, including the trades of forward Jordan Kyrou and multiple first-round picks, as well as the Jonathan Drouin buyout. The Blues have also been busy adding to their lineup, bringing in forwards Connor McMichael and Mason McTavish, as well as defenseman Brandon Carlo and prospect Milton Gastrin. All of it looks dishevelled and all over the place, but for a team that has badly needed a retool, it’s a decent start for the Blues, though it’s a risky one as well.
The risky moves involve Kyrou and McTavish, and it’s hard to say which move carries more risk. Trading Kyrou was certainly a gamble, as he is a bona fide top-six forward who can put up offense. While he is talented, Kyrou struggled offensively last season, and it’s fair to wonder if the Blues sold low on the 28-year-old until you look at the return. St. Louis received forward McMichael, the number 16 selection in this year’s draft, and the aforementioned Gastrin, which was fair value for the highly sought-after Kyrou. Some might wonder why St. Louis felt compelled to deal Kyrou, but there was clearly something off about the core in St. Louis, which appeared so talented on paper yet was unable to get it done on the ice. Kyrou and McMichael suffered from the same affliction last season, namely that their talent levels didn’t line up with their on-ice production. A fresh start should work out well for both of them.
The other major risk for St. Louis was dealing two first-round picks for McTavish, who has a ton of upside and is just 24 years old. Like Kyrou, McTavish had a down year, and Anaheim elected to sell low, although St. Louis paid a hefty price for the former third-overall pick. There are concerns about McTavish’s skating, but St. Louis probably isn’t concerned about the top-end speed of their power forward with the heavy shot. That will be the risk with McTavish, though, because as good as his hands are and as accurate as his shot is, he needs to get around the ice with some pace, and it remains to be seen whether he will improve that.
Then there was the buyout of Drouin, which, in a vacuum, made sense given that he was owed $4MM and had dramatically underperformed last season in the first year of his two-year deal. Drouin had signed the contract last summer with the New York Islanders, who quickly realized he wasn’t a fit and moved him as part of the trade for Brayden Schenn. Drouin had been an effective player in the years prior while with the Colorado Avalanche, but didn’t fit with the Islanders or the Blues last season and is now a UFA. What made the Drouin buyout odd is that the Blues didn’t really use the savings on another move (other than the Ross Johnston signing) and instead opted to keep the cap space available. But with a full roster of 23 and over $10MM available, it’s possible they don’t spend it. It could be that St. Louis is staying under an internal cap and needed to save actual dollars, which might be the only real explanation for buying out a player who could’ve had some value at the NHL Trade Deadline if he had a bounce-back season.
The signing of Johnston was one of the only other major pieces of news for the Blues on the first day of free agency, as they kept things quiet, signing only him to a three-year, $6MM deal, and Dillon Dube to a one-year deal at the league minimum. Johnston will bring sandpaper to the Blues’ lineup and is effectively just an enforcer at this stage of his career, while Dube will be an unknown at the NHL level, having not played an NHL game since January 2024.
Overall, it’s hard to fault St. Louis for wanting to be proactive in their retooling rather than waiting around for prospects and picks to hopefully work out. By converting Kyrou and their extra first-round picks into young, NHL-ready talent, St. Louis has made themselves more difficult to play against and kept intact a fairly young core that also includes Robert Thomas, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. They didn’t go about things in the most cohesive manner, but there are times in the NHL when teams make moves to set up something bigger down the road or as part of a bigger plan. The Blues are a team in transition at the moment, and some of the moves made should inject energy into a group that had perhaps become a little stale and a little pessimistic about some of the trades made towards the end of last season, when some key pieces were sent out the door at the trade deadline. St. Louis got younger this summer, and it’s hard to judge the totality of their moves until the team takes to the ice next October.
Snapshots, Carlsson, McTavish, Merkulov
With one offer sheet already signed, some are wondering if there will be others coming. Some teams are trying to guard against the possibility, including the Ducks. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Anaheim has told some teams that they will match any offer sheet given to center Leo Carlsson and that they elected to not be overly active in free agency to ensure they have the cap space to do so. The 21-year-old had his best season yet in 2025-26, putting up 29 goals and 38 assists in 70 games, taking big strides toward living up to his second-overall draft slot in 2023. Projected to be an all-around top center, he’s well on his way to doing so and is in line to command a max-term deal with a double-digit AAV. By telling teams he’ll match whatever is offered, GM Pat Verbeek is trying to ensure he’s the person to give Carlsson that contract at his terms. History suggests that this could make talks drag on well into the summer.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Flames made a serious pitch to acquire Mason McTavish from Anaheim last week, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link). However, they weren’t able to beat the offer from St. Louis of the 15th and 29th overall picks. Calgary had the sixth overall selection and understandably wasn’t willing to put that in the offer but while they had the 30th pick, they weren’t able to put something similar in value to the 15th selection. After parting with multiple picks to add Simon Nemec, the Flames aren’t attempting to escalate their rebuild but rather add some younger players who will be in their primes as they come out of it, something that would have been the case with McTavish.
- Unrestricted free agent forward Georgii Merkulov has received overseas interest but is holding out hope of landing an NHL contract, relays Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 25-year-old has seen action with Boston in each of the last three seasons but that only spans 11 games, where he has one assist. Merkulov has averaged 60 points per season over the last three years in the minors with AHL Providence so he should be able to garner interest on a two-way deal somewhere, especially since he doesn’t count toward veteran status in the AHL just yet.
Blues Acquire Mason McTavish
The St. Louis Blues have made a move to reinforce their current roster, landing Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish in exchange for the 15th and 29th overall selections of tonight’s first round, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Both St. Louis and Anaheim have officially announced the deal.
Owning four first rounders entering the draft, capped off with taking in #16 from Washington for Jordan Kyrou three days ago, outgoing general manager Doug Armstrong was intent on helping out his group sooner rather than later. Just this morning it was reported that McTavish had interest from both the Rangers as well as the Blues, and with New York snagging Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas, it’s Armstrong who closes the deal for the 23-year-old, leaving the new Alexander Steen regime with a player who fits nicely into their youth movement.
Rather than pour on to what is already a strong prospect pool enhanced by their selections of Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais, the Blues bring in the former third overall selection in McTavish (2021), using picks acquired from trades involving a pair of 34-year-olds from the previous era; Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk. The young center is already locked up for the foreseeable future, as the Blues take on McTavish’s $7MM cap hit which runs through 2030-31. On the other hand, already among the teams most rich in cap room, Anaheim now jumps up to over $44 million in space set to be players on virtually any top free agent as well as the trade market.
Drafted to be a major piece in their rebuild, the 6’1″ lefty has stalled out as a Duck, never truly breaking out over the past several seasons while averaging 44 points in a season across his last four. Scoring 17 goals to go along with 24 helpers in 75 games this past year, he was surpassed by brilliant 21-year-old Leo Carlsson. Demand for centers is as high as ever, and even if McTavish maxes out as a middle-six pivot, short of his initial upside, it’s a worthy gamble for the Blues to take. Needing to improve his foot speed and defensive capabilities for any hope at a large NHL role in the future, McTavish already wasn’t in the best standing, and he didn’t fit into first-year head coach Joel Quenneville‘s system, being scratched at times.
Already acquiring Connor McMichael from Washington in the Kyrou deal, St. Louis has revamped their center core behind Robert Thomas, seeking out two motivated players who have viable NHL experience to this point. Trade rumors continue to surround the 26-year-old star, but assuming they continue to be unmoved by trade offers and he is still with the team next fall, the Blues have turned the page smoothly from Schenn.
Just a few years ago, Anaheim fans would be terrified at the prospect of him, along with Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale all being shipped out already. Yet even if it hasn’t gone exactly to plan, the Ducks are in a great place, where a trade return entirely based on draft capital doesn’t have major implications for their roster. Finding a change of scenery for their former top prospect and simply getting out of his contract is a win in and of itself. Outside of Carlsson, their center ice corps are held down by Mikael Granlund as well as Ryan Poehling, both of whom have been nice fits with the team.
Even after they’ll handle business for restricted free agents Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier, Anaheim will continue to be a team to watch as rarely do playoff teams march into the summer with so much financial flexibility. As for the Blues, despite recent transactions, their roster still features a number of big ticket veterans. If all goes to plan, McTavish will be a breakout contender as a viable second-line center, with the team setting the stage for a season which feasibly could bounce back into dark horse playoff contention.
Image Credit Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images
Latest On Mason McTavish
The Anaheim Ducks are reportedly “deciding between” competing trade offers for center Mason McTavish from two teams: the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic first reported that the Blues were involved, and his reporting was further supported by Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
According to Friedman, the Blues’ offer for McTavish centers around the No. 11 pick in today’s draft, while the Rangers’ offer centers around “a player.” Friedman did not want to speculate on which player the Rangers have built their offer around, but The Athletic’s Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported the player is not veteran Vincent Trocheck. Mercogliano also wrote that he has “gotten some pushback” on defenseman Braden Schneider as that centerpiece player in the Rangers’ offer.
It should be noted that, according to Friedman, the Ducks are not looking for draft picks as their end goal in any McTavish trade. The team is looking to add players who can help their roster on a more immediate basis, to add to a lineup that reached the second round of the playoffs this past season.
Presumably, that means that if the Ducks end up opting for St. Louis’ offer, the No. 11 pick they acquire would instantly become available for trade, which could perhaps be of interest to teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins who are reportedly interested in trading up and climbing the draft order.
In any case, it does appear relatively likely that McTavish will be traded at some point in the very near future, as early as today if the Ducks end up preferring St. Louis’ offer. Although he had a somewhat disappointing 2025-26 season, scoring a career-low 41 points in 75 games, the 2021 No. 3 overall pick remains one of the more talented centers available on the trade market.
If teams believe he can bounce back and become a solid No. 2 center, his current contract, which carries a $7MM AAV through 2030-31, could provide real surplus value. It seems the Rangers have eyed McTavish as a potential replacement for Trocheck, who is likely to be dealt this summer, while the Blues would most likely plug him into their lineup as their No. 2 pivot behind Robert Thomas.
Rangers Among Teams Discussing Mason McTavish Trade
One player whose name has come up in trade speculation with regularity recently is Ducks center Mason McTavish. It appears the Rangers are among the teams pursuing him as Frank Seravalli of Victory+ and Hockey 24/7 reports (Twitter link) that the two teams are in advanced discussions about McTavish although no trade is in place yet. Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that Anaheim is believed to be weighing a pair of offers for McTavish that have been made in recent hours.
McTavish was the third overall selection by the Ducks back in 2021 with the hopes that he’d emerge as a core center. At this point of his career, it’s not looking as if he’s going to live up to his draft billing although that isn’t to say that he’s going to be viewed as a bust either. Through his first four full NHL seasons, the 23-year-old has settled in as more of a secondary core piece.
After putting up 22 goals and 30 assists in 2024-25, it looked as if McTavish might be ready to take a step forward and cement himself as a full-time top-six player. The six-year, $42MM contract he eventually received after a prolonged contract negotiation reflected that expectation.
But things didn’t quite go as planned. The addition of Mikael Granlund and breakout performance from Leo Carlsson pushed McTavish down the depth chart and while several players improved their play under new bench boss Joel Quenneville, he was one of the exceptions. The end result was a dip in production to 17 goals and 24 assists in 75 games while even being healthy scratched the odd game, including in the playoffs.
On the one hand, McTavish’s value would seem to be lower than it was a year ago so moving him now in that situation might not seem ideal. On the other hand, impact centers are in so short supply and so high demand while there are many more buyers than sellers. Accordingly, it stands to reason that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek would be able to elicit a strong return for McTavish’s services despite how things ended this season.
McTavish would certainly be a viable fit for the Rangers. A team that’s at least retooling, adding a 23-year-old pivot fits the timeline as someone who can help now and a few years down the road when they’re ideally trying to flip the switch to try to contend again as he will still be under contract at that time.
On top of that, McTavish profiles as a logical replacement for center Vincent Trocheck. The veteran is widely expected to be on the move after not being dealt away at the trade deadline. Knowing that they could have a capable pivot lined up to replace him in McTavish, that could help push a Trocheck swap across the finish line.
McTavish and Trocheck are two of the more intriguing centers who could be moved in the coming days and weeks. We’ll see soon enough if one moving ultimately leads to the other being swapped as well.
Afternoon Notes: Trocheck, Nemec, McTavish
Vincent Trocheck is making a switch in representation, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.
Earlier today, Dreger reported that Pat Brisson and CAA have been hired to represent the 32-year old forward, who has two-years left on his seven-year deal, which will pay him $39.38MM ($5.625M AAV) until 2029. He finished his 2025-26 season scoring 16 goals for 53 points in 67 games played with the New York Rangers. Brisson will be quite busy this offseason and has worked with stars who’ve shocked waves with their moves around the league. He notably represents stars like Jack Eichel (BUF to VGK), Pierre-Luc Dubois (LAK to WSH), and Quinn Hughes (VAN to MIN). It should be noted that Brisson also represents players in current sour situations, like Dylan Larkin, and has the expiring contract of RFA Jason Robertson to tackle in the summer of 2026.
The last time the Rangers made the playoffs, they had 55 regular-season wins and needed two more to advance to the Stanley Cup final. That was a 2023-24 run where Trocheck displayed his ability to contribute in big moments, scoring 20 points in 16 games. Two years later, they have fallen far from that mountain top. Since recording a near .700 points percentage, the Blueshirts have finished fifth, followed by this seasons eigthth seed placement in the Metropolitan Division.
Additional Notes:
Kevin Weekes of NHL Network has been tapping in regarding two restricted free agents that the league is keeping tabs on.
- Simon Nemec has garnered interest from teams, as Weekes told; it hasn’t been the smoothest path for the young 22-year-old right-shot defenseman. Formerly a second-overall pick of the New Jersey Devils, Nemec has risen to the occasion for the Devils in big moments. The Slovakian’s future could see his next deal go a few ways, either via a long-term extension or a bridge deal, based on the projected deals provided by AFP Analytics. Given there are already six players under contract on the blue line that are being paid $34.9MM combined, it’ll be interesting to see how GM Sunny Metha approaches Nemec within the offseason.
- Mason McTavish is another youthful name that has the phone lines ringing in Orange County. The Ducks are looking to facilitate a ‘hockey trade’ according to Weekes on their 23-year-old, who they recently signed through 2030-31 at $42MM ($7MM AAV). The former third-overall pick has proven himself to be a professional, producing four straight seasons of at least 40 points in the NHL, scoring 41 points in 75 games this past season with Anaheim, peaking in 2024-25 with 52 points with one more game played than this past year. It should be noted that he’s worn a few letters on his sweaters, donning the “C” internationally for Canada at the World Juniors in 2021-22, and has spent the last three seasons as an alternate captain with the Ducks.
Photo Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Senators To Be Active In Trade And Free Agency Front During Offseason
The Ottawa Senators are wasting little time addressing areas of need following their first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. With the NHL Draft approaching on June 26-27, president of hockey operations and GM Steve Staios was active at last week’s Combine in Buffalo. According to Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun, Staios met with league executives and player agents amid a thin free-agent market that is pushing more clubs toward trades. The push includes additions at all areas of the roster.
A league executive indicated Ottawa is in the market for a top-six winger capable of lining up with Tim Stützle and captain Brady Tkachuk. While the Senators lack significant assets for a major splash, Garrioch’s sources noted Anaheim’s Mason McTavish as a realistic target given existing organizational ties. Jordan Kyrou was previously mentioned in early deadline chatter, though Garrioch noted that scenario “doesn’t make sense” for Ottawa at this stage.
On the blue line, adding a top-four right-shot defenseman remains a priority with veteran Nick Jensen expected to test unrestricted free agency following knee surgery. RFA Jordan Spence averaged 25 minutes of ice time during his four postseason games and holds arbitration rights, which could set up potentially tricky negotiations.
In an effort to boost the blue line and offer any veteran help, the Senators also checked in on St. Louis veterans Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk at the March trade deadline. However, neither was willing to waive their new move clauses to come to Ottawa. Faulk was ultimately dealt to Detroit, while Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause despite a strong offer from Buffalo that included a high-end prospect and first-round pick.
In net, the Senators are expected to focus on backup goaltending, and should qualify Leevi Meriläinen, while monitoring UFAs options like Connor Ingram and Stuart Skinner, among others.
Veteran UFA forwards Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins have noted strong desires to stay in Ottawa. Staios is reportedly high on retaining both, with Giroux likely returning on another bonus-heavy structure.
Trade talks will be a little more challenging without the draft capital of their No. 32 overall draft selection. Expect trade discussions to intensify in the coming weeks as clubs position themselves ahead of July 1 free agency.
Senators Interested In Mason McTavish
The Ottawa Senators will have a busy summer ahead, one way or another. After expressing interest in building out the blue-line, and padding their goalie depth, general manager Steve Staios has also made it clear that Ottawa needs another top-six forward per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Garrioch names Anaheim Ducks youngster Mason McTavish as the current name on Ottawa’s radar, though Seattle Kraken center Jared McCann and St. Louis Blues’ winger Jordan Kyrou could also fit the bill.
Staios has the rare experience of having traded for McTavish once before. He acquired the burly forward for the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in a 2022 trade with the Peterborough Petes. McTavish had put together a season of dominance in the year leading up to the trade – earning a top-three selection in the 2021 NHL Draft on the back of a Covid-shortened season, but strong performance, in Switzerland’s second-tier pro league. He made his NHL and AHL debuts at the very start of the 2021-22 season, then closed the year as the star of Staios’ OHL championship-winning Bulldogs.
Since then, McTavish has put up four consecutive seasons of at least 40 points in the NHL. He hit a career-high 22 goals and 52 points – the most goals and second-most points on the Ducks – in the 2024-25 season, but fell back to 41 points in 75 games this year. Even with up-and-down success, and a fluctuating lineup role, McTavish has still shined as a young professional. He earned Anaheim’s alternate captaincy in 2023 and has carried the letter through two more seasons since. McTavish was also the captain of Team Canada at his sole appearances in the 2021 U18 Men’s World Championship and 2022 World Junior Championship.
There seems to be some certainty that McTavish can hold down a middle-six role in the lineup. His upside could be far higher, having broken the 20-goal ceiling once before his 23rd birthday. Garrioch also points out McTavish’s career-long 48.6 faceoff percentage, which peaked with a 51.7 percent in the 2023-24 season. That added tool could give Ottawa some interesting flexibility with Dylan Cozens‘ role as second-line center – while also padding the forward depth chart as a whole.
The cost of that certainty could be high, especially if Ottawa hopes to find it in a recent, top-three draft pick. The Senators’ don’t have a wealth of talent, or assets, to work with – but they do have two first-round picks and four third-round picks over the next two classes. That includes the 32nd-overall pick this season – a spot that’s locked in after Ottawa’s pick was revoked, then regranted, following a trade scandal. Ottawa could build an impressive package if they send that selection, additional draft capital, and a rising prospect like Blake Montgomery the other way.
Ducks’ Mason McTavish Scratched, Troy Terry, John Carlson Return
Prior to puck drop tonight in Montreal, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reported that Mason McTavish is a healthy scratch, with Troy Terry returning from injury and John Carlson making his highly anticipated debut.
The center has just two points in his last 12 games, with 32 total on the year in 61 games. In a season defined by the breakout of several young stars in Anaheim, such has not been the case for McTavish. The 2021 third overall pick’s offensive output has stalled out of late, hovering around the 40-50 range, not necessarily glaring but disappointing nonetheless. This season his possession metrics at five-on-five are actually a career best at 52.2%, although the center is starting nearly 59% of his shifts in the offensive zone, a notable uptick from years past.
With his trust slipping under head coach Joel Quenneville, McTavish has lost his role down the middle, dipping below 16 minutes a night for the first time since the beginning stages of his career.
Simple resets like this happen often, and the 23-year-old is likely just in a slump for the time being, but no player making $7MM per year through 2030-31 should be spending time in the press box. After his restricted free agency dragged out into the fall, there was some speculation McTavish could be moving on. That ended in late September as the Ducks locked him up and voiced their beliefs that he would grow into a top player for the franchise.
Even if just for tonight, the Ducks feel like they have the best chance to win and take another step toward the playoffs without the 6’1″ forward in the mix. It’s a headline management would not expect back before the campaign started, but a lot has changed for the Ducks since then.
Meanwhile, Terry is a welcome addition back into the forward group not having played since February 25. The 28-year-old still ranks fifth in team scoring with 45 points in 46 games, particularly impressive considering that his counterparts have skated in as many as 20 more contests.
Finally, with Radko Gudas out as a result of a controversial five-game suspension, Carlson makes his Ducks debut, more news Anaheim fans would find hard to believe just a few months ago. The 36-year-old is debuting alongside Olen Zellweger, wearing a new uniform after 1,143 regular season games with the Capitals. Carlson had been dealing with a lower-body injury, his final game with Washington ending unceremoniously against Nashville on February 5 due to the ailment.
It’s hard to imagine McTavish will be out of the lineup for long, but he’ll need to turn the page soon to avoid any trade speculation this summer. With a top scorer back into the lineup, and an elite defensemen joining the team, there’s much reason to be excited for the weeks ahead and hopefully the center will find his groove accordingly.
Image Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images