A major rumor is swirling around the NHL, and it’s one that could send shockwaves through the league. Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish, a former 3rd overall pick and a player many considered a cornerstone of their future, is reportedly unhappy in sunny California. And the team that keeps coming up in connection with a potential move? The Montreal Canadiens.
This isn’t just your typical off-season chatter. Where there’s smoke, there’s often fire, and this rumor has some serious legs. The Canadiens are in desperate need of a legitimate second-line center to slot in behind Nick Suzuki. They need a player with size, skill, and that quintessential Canadian power forward grit—and McTavish fits that description to a tee.
The Price of a Power Forward
So, what would it take for the Canadiens to land a player of McTavish’s caliber? The Ducks aren’t going to let him go for cheap. They’ll be looking for high-end prospects to replenish their system, and the Canadiens have a few that would certainly be enticing.
Names like David Reinbacher and Michael Hage are reportedly at the top of Anaheim’s wish list. If the Canadiens aren’t willing to part with at least one of them, it’s hard to see how they could put together a package that would be more appealing to the Ducks.
A Franchise-Altering Move for the Montreal Canadiens
This is the kind of high-stakes gamble that could reshape the Canadiens’ future. Landing McTavish would give them a formidable one-two punch down the middle for years to come. But is the price too high? That’s the question that Kent Hughes and the Canadiens’ management team have to be asking themselves.
They’ll need to weigh the immediate impact of adding a player like McTavish against the long-term potential of the prospects they would have to give up. As an expert in NHL rumors, this is a situation I’ll be monitoring closely.
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It’d probably take both Hage and Reinbacher or at the very least one of those two + Montreal’s 2026 1st round pick and another good prospect probably Beck or Mailloux.
Why are you rejecting my comment that is critical of the author? If you are going to call yourself a “self proclaimed expert in NHL rumors”, you better be able to handle the heat when someone calls you out.
So no new information
McTavish isnt Drouin, he’s a proven 60 points 50% win possession Center on top of being a solid Power Forward. Hage in his prime will only be hitting McTavish numbers in his first few years.
No knock on Hage and a bottom 15 draft pick in the first round often dont provide that Danault or Pacioretty type Quality with top 6 upside long term.
That said McTavish is basically a Left handed Suzuki as their game is so similar even though their styles arent identical.Nick can play better along the boards, McTavish can make strait Charges down the middle in way’s Nick simply doesnt have the speed for.
This allows us the same consistency in the top 6 with more wide spread coverage of all shooting lanes. He’s a guy you give up a Reinbacher or a Hage for without regret.
Drouin while i liked him was never established unless we’re talking about is up again, down again development in TBL. We looked at him more like a Dach who we gave up a good russian LD for also.
With McTavish this strikes me as investing in Demidov
McTavish will be a Duck not only next year, but likely for 8 years or longer.
Why does anyone believe he is available? The Ducks are not shopping him and Mason has stated he wants to remain a Duck.