Mason McTavish

There are only a handful of remaining restricted free agents around the NHL with training camps now underway.  One of those is Ducks center Mason McTavish, a player who there has been plenty of speculation about this offseason.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that discussions on a contract were last held on Monday.  From there, McTavish flew to Ottawa to skate with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s to try to stay in playing condition while waiting for a deal to be finalized.  LeBrun adds that the two sides are still apart on both term and money.

While it was speculated early on that Anaheim’s preference would be to sign the 22-year-old to a bridge deal as they did with Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale (both since traded) in the past, recent reporting suggests that GM Pat Verbeek’s preference is to get a long-term deal in place.  Eric Stephens of The Athletic adds (subscription link) that the desire to do a long-term agreement is mutual.

The price point of such a contract will be pricey.  McTavish is coming off his best statistical season so far, one that saw him collect 22 goals and 30 assists in 76 games while primarily anchoring the second line.  Meanwhile, his first two NHL campaigns saw him put up 43 and 42 points.  Given his progress and draft status (he went third overall in 2021), it’s clear that both sides think he still has another level or two to get to offensively.  In a long-term pact, Anaheim will be paying for that anticipated upside in the price tag.

Recent comparable long-term agreements across the NHL generally fall within the $7MM to $8MM range per season and there is often a premium paid for centers which only helps McTavish’s case.  That means going that route would likely push his price past that of teammate Troy Terry, who checks in at $7MM and is Anaheim’s highest-paid forward.  Terry has produced a higher point total than McTavish’s best in each of the last four seasons so it’s understandable that Verbeek might want to use Terry’s deal as an artificial ceiling.  However, in this escalating salary cap environment, accomplishing that would be tricky.

While there was some speculation that McTavish’s camp would try to solicit an offer sheet, none came through and at this stage of the offseason, it’s even less likely to now.  Considering that Anaheim has more than $20MM in cap space per PuckPedia, they would have easily been able to match, snuffing out any possible threat before it could even start.

Meanwhile, Verbeek told reporters today including Greg Beacham of the Associated Press that it’s “disappointing” that McTavish isn’t with the team to start camp.  With a new coaching staff headlined by Joel Quenneville in place, the young forward will have a lot of catching up to do.  That said, Verbeek also added that a lot of progress has been made over the summer before adding that “We’re closing in, I would say, but we’re not there yet.”

While Verbeek is no stranger to prolonged contract talks (something he has had with Zegras, Drysdale, and Terry, in particular), all of those deals were done by the start of the season.  We’ll find out over the next couple of weeks if that streak will continue when it comes to McTavish.

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.