As the offseason progresses, fans are growing increasingly anxious about the future of the second-line center position with the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]. While the situation isn’t exciting, the most likely outcome at this stage is for Kirby Dach to receive another opportunity in the role. In the last few days, several websites have reported that, according to Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco, the Canadiens are keeping tabs on McTavish’s availability. That is not what he wrote; he wrote that he “reckon would be keeping close tabs on McTavish’s availability”. In other words, he believes the Habs should be keeping an eye on the situation, but it does not mean that they are. Canadiens: Trying To Tame The Old Enemy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-trying-to-tame-the-old-enemy] Canadiens' Blueline Ranked Among NHL's Best [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-blueline-ranked-among-nhl-s-best] Canadiens: Hage And Koivu Big Winners At The Summer Showcase [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-hage-and-koivu-big-winners-at-the-summer-showcase] Perhaps something got lost in translation, or it’s just down to websites looking for clicks in the dog days of summer, but whichever way you look at it, what we’ve got here is a classic case of misquoting. There’s no doubt that McTavish would tick a lot of the boxes on the list of what the Canadiens need, but that doesn’t mean he automatically becomes available. Granted, the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] already have a top-line center in Leo Carlsson, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for McTavish anymore. Yes, the Ducks did sign Mikael Granlund on the free agent market, but the fact that he can play center doesn’t mean he will play center. Anaheim has already moved a center this offseason when they sent Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers]. It would be perfectly reasonable for the Ducks to start the season with a center line of Carlsson, McTavish, Ryan Strome, and Ryan Poehling (who they acquired in the trade with the Flyers). Of course, there’s the small matter of McTavish not being signed to a contract yet since he’s an RFA, but the truth is that if he were to sign an offer sheet, the Ducks would simply match it. Anaheim has over $21 million in cap space. It would take an unreasonable offer sheet to get McTavish out of California, and Kent Hughes is not the type to throw caution to the wind and make a move that doesn’t make sense financially. Once upon a time, the Carolina Hurricanes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes] made an unreasonable offer to Jesperi Kotkaniemi. While they did get the player, they are now stuck with him after giving him an eight-year deal that made little sense at the time, given the player’s track record. The Canadiens will not do that. Nor will they make a reasonable offer sheet that the player will sign and the team will match. Montreal will not be a signing facilitator as they were for Sebastian Aho. The only way McTavish lands in Montreal is if the Ducks are unable to sign him to a number they are comfortable with, and they elect to trade him. If it is a sign-and-trade deal, however, it would cost roster pieces for the Canadiens and not just futures. This is a player who has three full years of NHL action under his belt, with 43, 42, and 52 points. He is consistently evolving and improving; those players do not come cheap. If you would like the Canadiens to go hard after McTavish, ask yourself which of the core pieces you’d be willing to sacrifice because he’s not a gamble like Dach or Alex Newhook were; he’s a player that has already started to pan out. Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
