Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish will interest teams
The Chris Johnston Show: Chris Johnston on Anaheim Ducks center McTavish, and how he’ll draw interest from teams looking for help down the middle.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
McKenzie: “Don’t mind me bouncing around the trade board, but I’m especially intrigued with Mason McTavish being on this list and being at number four. Signed a six-year extension in September. We know there was some, lot of talk around his contract in the fall.
So for him to be in this situation, particularly on an Anaheim Ducks team, where we saw them in the playoffs, they really look like a team on the rise. Curious to know what could be next for him, and how willing the Ducks could be with the potential of parting with a player like McTavish?”
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Johnston: “I think they have to consider it, you know, it’s, this isn’t the ducks pushing about the door. I mean, look, as you mentioned, they signed him to a long-term extension. He’s still a young player. They don’t have to do anything. This isn’t, this isn’t a case where Anaheim is in a bind.
I think it’s more, you know, it didn’t, didn’t go as well this year as I think either he or the team would like. Found himself a scratch a couple times during the season. Was scratched again a couple times in the playoffs, and you know we’re in an offseason where the (Ducks) have some, some big contracts to hand out, right?
Start with Leo Carlsson, who I think is going to get a monster number. We talk about how there’s going to be some July 1st contracts in free agency where everyone goes, ‘Wow.’ You know, I think it’s very possible with both Leo Carlsson, Connor Bedard needing new deals this summer, and then potentially Macklin Celebrini signing an extension a year out. I think the next wave of kind of the youth movement could see that bar go very high for those players.
And obviously they’re all sort of tied together in a way. You know, Celebrini likely at the head of the class, but you know, Carlsson, you know, could end up with a $14 million a year contract, or something like that. I think it’s entirely possible that that’s that’s the range he ends up in.
And so you got him needing his deal with, I believe, Cutter Gaucher is up for a new contract, and so you know, with the money that’s going to be spent by Anaheim, you know, there might be a case here to see if they can, you know, address some other needs with McTavish.
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Now, I still think long term, if he ends up as their second line center, that that’s that’s probably a place they’re happy with, you know. They have Mikhail Granlund. They have some veterans that they’ve brought in, kind of as what I’ll call placeholders for this development stages of their team
You know, and teams are definitely interested in someone like McTavish, is you know, to call him a reclamation project, I think, would be a little overstating it.”
McKenzie: “He’s 23.”
Johnston: “But to you know, maybe seeing him, ‘hey, if we get him in our system, and we can give him some more opportunities, and maybe he’s getting in there, that you know, that he can, you know, deliver a little bit more on the potential he’s had since being a top pick himself in the draft a few years ago.’
So you know, I think he is an intriguing name, and definitely one that’s, you know, drawn some some interest around the league at this point. And you know, we’ll just have to see if that heats up to a point where the Sharks are actually, or straight, where the Ducks are actually willing to move them.”
McKenzie: “I’m not trying to make this the Calgary show, but, like, basically McTavish fits the profile of a player the Flames need. He’s 23 years old. Could be a top six player on the team. An impact player, they need impact players. Like, again, I’m not trying to make the Calgary Flames show, but that’s a guy they could, they would sorely need, as well as other teams around them.
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Johnston: “Well, and if you believe in him, and I think there’s lots of reasons still to believe in him, he’s that contract he signed in the environment we’re going to be in, I think is, you know, he’s likely to deliver value on that, frankly, as time goes along. And so, you know, that’s, I think it’s an attractive, I think it’s an attractive proposition for a number of teams, for that reason. As he can fit in, fill that hole, and you know, as long as he can just to keep taking steps forward.
And the other thing, this guy’s a hockey nut, you know, he’s, he’s one of those players I’ve been around the ducks a few times in the playoffs, and obviously during the regular season. Like he’s like the last guy off in the morning skate kind of guy. He’s he’s you know any any perceived issues with him, and I think his skating has been a question that he’s faced throughout his, you know, teenage years and into his early days in the NHL. But they’re not, they’re not a result of not putting everything into his craft, and so that’s that’s another positive.
And I think that, you know, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays in Anaheim, but that being said, other teams are trying for the reasons we’ve highlighted. This this is a difficult time to get better, especially if you’re looking at that free agent list and you need a center,
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