On Saturday, Mason McTavish and the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] ended their elongated contract dispute and agreed on a six-year contract that carries an AAV of $7 million. McTavish (22) missed the first nine days of the Ducks' 2025-26 training camp, and as he reported on Monday, he will have had 11 days of camp by the start of the regular season. The Ducks have a brand new coaching staff behind their bench, led by Joel Quenneville, who, to this point in camp, has run high-intensity skating-based on-ice sessions. Missing nine days of a camp like that under a new coach is anything but ideal, and the Ducks will have to monitor how hard they push McTavish to integrate him without risking injury. Anaheim Ducks Training Camp: Tyson Hinds, Potential Front Runner for Role as Seventh Defenseman [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/anaheim-ducks-training-camp-tyson-hinds-potential-front-runner-for-role-as-seventh-defenseman] Mason McTavish on His New Contract [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/mason-mctavish-on-his-new-contract] Anaheim Ducks Training Camp: Drew Helleson Breakout Key to Unlocking Blueline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/players/anaheim-ducks-training-camp-drew-helleson-breakout-key-to-unlocking-blueline] We’ll soon find out if missing that much time will hinder McTavish out of the gates, a slow starter as it is to this point in his career, and if extending negotiations into camp will be worth the headache. The Ducks spent their highest draft pick in eight years when they selected McTavish (3rd overall in 2021) in the NHL Draft four years ago. Playing for two coaches who are no longer coaching in the NHL and in less-than-ideal environments, McTavish, with a substantial amount of runway left, has already evolved into a quality second-line center in the NHL. He has one of the highest motors in the league, never giving up on battles and frequently extending or killing plays with extra efforts. He utilizes his 6-foot-1, 218-pound frame to protect pucks below the faceoff dots and along the boards, drawing defenders toward him and finding teammates in dangerous spots on the ice. He has some wrinkles in his game to iron out, like defensive zone coverage, where he’d already improved in 2024-25, but will now be in a system more catered to his strengths. His skating and transition offense could use a boost as well, but to a lesser extent. When comparing McTavish’s contract to similar ones (signed by players in similar circumstances), league-wide, it’s hard to argue the Ducks didn’t get tremendous value for their current and future second-line center. $7 million represents 7.3% of the current $95.5 million NHL salary cap ceiling. McTavish has played 229 career games and tallied 140 points (60-80=140), a .61 points-per-game pace. He scored 52 points (22-30=52) in 76 games in 2024-25 (.68 ppg) and 2.16 points per 60 minutes at 5v5. With his six-year term, the Ducks bought two yers of McTavish’s UFA status. TO PUT HIS NUMBERS INTO PERSPECTIVE, A GLANCE AT SIMILAR DEALS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL: FRANK NAZAR-SEVEN YEARS, $6.6 MILLION AAV(6.3% OF CAP) Nazar just wrapped up his first full professional season, playing 21 games in the AHL with the Rockford Ice Hogs and 53 for the Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks], where he notched 26 points (12-14=26). Nazar has played only 56 career games and has scored at a .48 PPG pace, including .49 PPG and 1.36 P/60 at 5v5 in the 2024-25 season. The Hawks are betting that Nazar will continue to improve, as he did in the latter stretch of the 2024-25 season. Though Nazar is signed for a year longer and will make $600k per year less than McTavish, McTavish’s greater production over a larger sample size might make his contract look more desirable as of now. MATTHEW KNIES-SIX YEARS, $7.75 MILLION AAV(8.1% OF CAP) Knies had a spectacular breakout season for the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] in 2024-25, where, mostly on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, he tallied 58 points (29-29=58) in 78 games. The Leafs will be relying on him more heavily, considering his raise and the departure of Marner this offseason. Through 161 career games, Knies has scored at a .58 PPG pace. In 2024-25, he scored at a .74 PPG pace and 1.93 P/60 at 5v5. Despite Knies scoring seven more goals last season, McTavish tallied points at a higher rate, in a less ideal environment, and at a more premium position (center v wing), again perhaps rendering McTavish’s contract more favorable. QUENTON BYFIELD-FIVE YEARS, $6.25 MILLION AAV(7.1% OF CAP) Byfield is potentially the most similar to McTavish of this group in terms of contract, production, and draft pedigree. The 2020 second-overall pick scored 54 points (23-31=54) in 81 games last season and, with his skating and tenacity, was a 200-foot menace. Byfield is 260 games into his NHL career and has scored at a .55 PPG clip. Last season, he scored .67 PPG and 2.00 P/60 at 5v5. Byfield will likely always have a greater defensive impact than McTavish and will hope to take his production to an even higher level as soon as this season. With a five-year term, the Los Angeles Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings]only bought one year of Byfield’s UFA status, but they’re saving $750k more per year than the Ducks are with McTavish. Which contract is preferable between the two is in the eye of the beholder, but it will be very enjoyable to all to watch these two battle for the foreseeable future in Southern California. Other Comparables: Logan Stankoven (Eight Years, $6 million AAV), Matt Coronato (Seven Years, $6.5 million AAV), Wyatt Johnston (Five Years, $8.4 million AAV), Alexis Lafreniere (Seven Years, $7.45 million AAV), Matty Beniers (Seven Years, $7.14 million AAV). Ducks Sign Mason McTavish to Six-Year Extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-sign-mason-mctavish-to-six-year-extension] Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on McTavish Extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-gm-pat-verbeek-on-mctavish-extension] Anaheim Ducks Training Camp: Lukas Dostal an Underrated Benefactor of New Coaching Staff [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/anaheim-ducks-training-camp-lukas-dostal-an-underrated-benefactor-of-new-coaching-staff]
