Mason McTavish Agrees To New Deal
The long-awaited standoff is over between the Anaheim Ducks and Mason McTavish. It was announced on Saturday afternoon that the Ducks and McTavish have agreed to a six-year deal worth $42 million. The deal carries an AAV of $7 million.
Six years x $7 M AAV for McTavish https://t.co/qmhTxtP509
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 27, 2025
NHL Rumors: Not a Whole Lot of Movement in the Mason McTavish Talks with the Anaheim Ducks
Earlier in the morning, LeBrun tweeted that there was no movement on either side, as the status quo remained, but he emphasized that things could change with one call.
Status quo on the Mason McTavish front. Still slow going there. As we always say, can change with one phone call. But right now it’s not there.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 27, 2025
All It Took With MacTavish Was One Phone Call
That one phone call came, and the two parties were able to reach an agreement. As documented, Mason McTavish and his camp were seeking a long-term (seven to eight-year) deal at an AAV of $7 million. Meanwhile, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was looking for a little shorter deal in that mid-range (four to five-year) deal in the $6 million range of an AAV.
There was give and take from both parties. McTavish’s camp came down on the term, while Verbeek and the Ducks went up in dollar amount. There was a good chance this could have lasted a long time if something didn’t get done on Saturday.
And just like that McTavish and the Ducks strike a deal.
They agree to a six year deal at $7 million AAV.
This needed to get done to get the player into camp.
As always things change with one phone. Team went to player AAV. Player goes to team term. #flytogether https://t.co/mNhiIaXsa9
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) September 27, 2025
NHL Rumors: Anaheim Ducks Want To Keep Mason McTavish
Verbeek had been adamant that he wasn’t trading McTavish. They saw him as part of the future in Anaheim. However, McTavish wasn’t sure what his role would be and needed certainty from the team that he would be the first- or second-line center. Now he has it with this contract.
“Mason is a key part of our team, and we’re excited to reach a long-term agreement that reflects his importance to our future,” said Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek in a statement on Saturday. “He’s a highly skilled, physical, and competitive player who plays the game the right way. Mason has already made a significant impact at a young age, and we’re confident he’ll continue to grow into a top player as we build toward sustained success.”
In addition, despite the threat of an offer sheet, teams were not willing to do Pat Verbeek’s job for him. Say a team was going to offer McTavish over $7 million per season, the Ducks were going to match that because they had the cap space to match it. Not to mention, teams were not going to give up unprotected first-round draft picks with the thought of drafting Gavin McKenna in 2026.
NHL Rumors: How Does Marco Rossi’s Contract Effect Mason McTavish Negotiations
McTavish is now getting what Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund are making with the Anaheim Ducks.
Mason McTavish ends the RFA drama with a new 6-year deal with the @AnaheimDucks worth $7 million annually, matching the cap hits for Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund as the highest among Ducks forwards.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 27, 2025
More Mason MacTavish Comparables
So, what does it say for all the talk about a rising cap and players getting more of a percentage of the cap, that McTavish took less than some of his peers who were a part of the same draft class?
Mason McTavish’s new $7 AAV is lower than the second contracts signed by Buffalo defenseman Owen Power ($8.35 million, in 2023) and Seattle forward Matty Beniers ($7,142,857, in 2024), who were selected right ahead of McTavish in the 2021 draft.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 27, 2025
NHL Rumors: The Anaheim Ducks Aren’t Crazy About a Mason McTavish Bridge Deal
In 229 career NHL games, McTavish has recorded 140 points (60 goals and 80 assists). Additionally, during the 2024-25 season, he set career highs in points (52), goals (22), and assists (30). He is only getting better with each passing year.
A fair bet on Mason McTavish. Could be a really good deal if he ever figures things out defensively. Worth noting one of his current top comps is Max Domi. pic.twitter.com/oiYBDMEbQW
— dom ? (@domluszczyszyn) September 27, 2025
So, the Ducks knew how important it was to get him into training camp with the new head coach, Joel Quenneville, who would be instilling new systems. The longer this standoff lasted, the more it would hurt both the player and the team. Remember, Verbeek has high expectations for the team this season.
With Mason McTavish off the board now, the attention turns to Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Luke Evangelista as the last two remaining unsigned RFAs.
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