Despite signing a long-term deal in September, Carp's Mason McTavish is being mentioned in NHL trade chatter for a second straight summer.
Mason McTavish trade rumours to Ottawa are close to becoming an annual summertime tradition.
They were everywhere last year, and they made sense. McTavish was a restricted free agent and, as the summer heated up, so did the trade chatter around the league. By September, McTavish was still home in Ottawa, skating with the 67's, and waiting for a deal, either by contract or trade.
He finally got one, a six-year contract worth $42 million, which seemed to put questions about McTavish's future to rest for the foreseeable future.
Well, not so much, as it turns out.
For a second straight summer, from Pierre LeBrun to Bruce Garrioch, McTavish's name is splattered all over the news as a possible trade chip for Anaheim, with the Senators being mentioned as a possible destination.
But does it make sense? Anaheim just signed the guy long-term. Why would they consider moving him eight months later? And is he the right fit in Ottawa?
Let's dig in.
Anaheim's View
As a team, Anaheim had a fine season. McTavish and the Ducks went out and made the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
But with great money comes great expectations, and McTavish didn't meet them this season.
While the Ducks improved by 12 points in the standings, McTavish had 11 fewer points than he did the year before, dropping from 22 goals and 52 points in his contract year to 17 goals and 41 points this year.
He was also healthy-scratched twice in the playoffs, when it matters most, which is a huge red flag.
Another angle is that the Ducks need help on the blue line if they're going to take the next step. They were loaded this season with good young forwards like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke, along with veterans like Troy Terry, Mikael Granlund, Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn. But they need D.
Finally, GM Pat Verbeek still has to do some financial tap dancing this summer. Both Carlsson and Gauthier are restricted free agents and will be due massive raises. The 22-year-old Gauthier led the Ducks with 41 goals and 69 points. Carlsson was next with 29 goals and 67 points.
The Ducks also have decisions to make with veteran defencemen John Carlson, Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba, who are all unrestricted free agents this summer.
So while Anaheim still values McTavish as an asset, there will need to be some sacrifice and restructuring one way or another. Maybe there's an opportunity for another team to buy low, but that's doubtful.
McTavish's stock dipped this season, but there would still be plenty of teams interested.
Ottawa's View
On the other hand, it's well documented why the Senators might have an interest in McTavish.
He was an outstanding junior prospect, starring for Team Canada at the 2022 World Juniors and leading the entire tournament with 17 points in seven games. He's 6-foot-1, 219 pounds, entering his fifth NHL season, and so far seems to be settling into a 40-to-50-point range. Though an argument could be made that his drop in production last season had a lot to do with missing training camp.
And of course, he has history with Ottawa and the Senators.
He spent last fall skating with the 67's. He's a Carp native. He played for Michael Andlauer and Steve Staios with the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, helping them win a championship.
Oh, and his father is Dale McTavish, who works as a pro scout for the Senators.
Sometimes home cooking and the comforts of home can turn a player around.
The Senators would also like to add another top-six forward. But not if he stays in that 40-to-50-point window he's occupied during his first four NHL seasons.
The Senators had six forwards this year who scored more points than McTavish did. He's certainly a player you'd like to add, any team would. But if you're taking on that salary and giving up important assets, you're doing so with the belief that he can produce 70-plus points, something he hasn't yet come close to doing.
Another forward would be nice, but is it Ottawa's biggest priority? The Sens went cold in the playoffs, but they were the league's ninth-highest-scoring team this season.
Meanwhile, they find themselves in the same pickle they were in two summers ago, needing to rebalance their blue line. With Nick Jensen possibly moving on and Jordan Spence emerging, the Senators are back to having a lot of puck movers, and not enough snarly, hard-to-play-against shutdown guys.
Oh, and the Senators may also need a reliable backup goalie who can play a lot of games. Where starter Linus Ullmark is concerned, as Guy Boucher liked to say, rest is a weapon.
There may be too many things working against the notion of bringing the kid from Carp home. But there are enough things that do make sense that it's worth some creative conversation over the summer.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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