NHL Rumors: Why Has Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish Been in the Rumor Mill?

Why has Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish been in the rumor mill?

Sportsnet: Josh Elliott-Wolfe and Mike Halford discuss Anaheim Ducks RFA Mason McTavish, and why is there trade speculation involving the 22-year-old forward.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Halford: “So, Josh, I don’t know if you noticed this or not, yesterday concerning this, Ben Kuzma of the Province also had a fairly lengthy piece talking about the prospect of Vancouver acquiring Mason McTavis. We might be onto something here in these Dog Days this summer.”

Elliott-Wolfe: “I mean, I do think of all the names that have come up that are like realistic possibilities, not that it, it might not be super realistic, but it does feel kind of realistic. Mason McTavish has been the most intriguing name to me.

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Now, the thing that Frank mentioned that kind of makes it an issue is (A) the Ducks have a lot of cap space, and (B) he is 22 years old, and why would the Ducks want to move? And I get that.

I mean, we talk about body language all the time in Vancouver, and I get it can be frustrating if you’re the Ducks. If someone is frustrated with losing and is showing it and maybe isn’t helping enough, like Mason McTavish, you might expect him to.

But that being said, like I just don’t see how trading him gets the Ducks closer to their ultimate goal, as opposed to keeping him and hoping he could be the answer, one of the answers in your top-six.”

Halford: “Do you have, or do you think there’s any merit to continuing the conversation based on the fact that Verbeek did not draft McTavish?”

Elliott-Wolfe: “It helps.”

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Halford: “Verbeek did also, also didn’t draft Trevor Zegras. And I do wonder, I just want to, I just wonder if in the sort of rebuild of the franchise, and trying to take the step forward, there’s a bit of a clean slate mentality. Where perhaps he’s not enamored with the guys that he inherited from the draft. Maybe it’s McTavish and Zegras. And he thinks, if I can’t win with these guys, if I firmly believe I’m not going to be able to win with these guys, maybe I can sell as high as humanly possible.

Especially on a guy like McTavish, because the return would be pretty massive, right? I think McTavish, the name, the identity, I’m going to be dead honest, what he did with the World Junior team I think that still resonates big time with a lot of people, even though it was a few years it was a few years ago. I wonder if there is something here that a team that’s got enough assets can jump on.

I also wonder, and you know, especially with regards to the Ducks, they don’t necessarily see this as a step back, but something along the lines of, can we maximize value for this asset? Now, here’s the thing: Verbeek has spoken regularly and openly about, you know, the confidence he has that he’s going to get a deal with McTavish done. This could end up being one of those conversations that you have in the summer where an RFA is gone unsigned for a while and twists in the wind.

The thing I don’t know, and the piece we’ll try and get to later, especially when we talk to Jonathan Davis, is what McTavish feels about all this. If he is, maybe holding up the proceedings because he doesn’t necessarily want to lock into Anaheim long-term.

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I mean, let’s be honest, the first few years of his career in Anaheim haven’t been spectacular. There’s been more losing than winning. There’s been some ugly hockey at times. It’s hard to see the light at the tunnel, and we have seen in the modern NHL, the player empowerment, and you know, the boldness of ‘hey I’m a young guy, I kind of want to call the shots a little bit earlier in my career.’ I do wonder if that’ll be a thing as well.”

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