As long as the Anaheim Ducks and restricted free agent (RFA) Mason McTavish fail to put pen to paper, most teams in the NHL will be lurking around. That is true for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are hoping to add a key teammate for Auston Matthews and company.
However, the Ducks have no desire to move on from the former 3rd overall pick in the 2021 NHL entry Draft. McTavish is coming off a career-high 52-point season, which included personal bests in goals (22) and assists (30). There’s little reason Anaheim would want to lose the 22-year-old center, but with each passing minute, more franchises begin to listen in.
It is hardly a secret that the Maple Leafs need help in the top-six group of its lineup. While the bottom-six is one of the best in the business, Matthews and company could use an addition to the top lines. McTavish could provide just that for the Buds in Hogtown.
However, the forward has made it clear he wishes to stay put in Orange County, California. Moreover, the organization wants him there, so all signs shouldn’t indicate trouble. According to reports, the Ducks might use one of Toronto’s recent extensions as blueprint for McTavish’s new deal.
Mason McTavish #37 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on after losing 4-1 in a game against the Minnesota Wild at Honda Center on December 21, 2022 in Anaheim, California.
“The new contracts for pending RFAs J.J. Peterka in Utah and Matthew Knies in Toronto serve as recent comparables for negotiating a mid-term deal here,” Sportsnet’s Luke Fox stated. “Another comparable for McTavish’s next contract could be Quinton Byfield’s recent five-year extension in Los Angeles, which carries a $6.25-million AAV.”
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Barring any changes, McTavish is happy to stay
“Nothing yet. I’m sure it’ll kind of happen as the summer goes on. Obviously, I love it here, and hopefully I can stay here,” McTavish had openly admitted in April, before the 2024-25 NHL season came to an end.
Of course, much time has passed since, and the interest from several Stanley Cup contenders might make the young skater change up his mind. That’s unclear, but with every passing minute the tension only grows in anticipation for a move, whether it’s an extension, an offer sheet, or a trade.
Setting a precedent
The Ducks’ main issue in handing out McTavish such a hefty extension lies in the bigger picture. Anaheim boasts one of the league’s youngest rosters, with dozens of players drafted by the Ducks themselves. That means similar situations to McTavish’s might come up in the future, and handing such a bank-breaking deal to the 22-year-old could only force the organization to follow suit in the future.
Head coach Joel Quenneville, the new bench boss for the Anaheim Ducks.
2026 free agency class
Jumping ahead, during the 2026 NHL offseason, Anaheim will face a tough free agency period. Homegrown talents like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zelwegger will all be restricted free agents.
As for the unrestricted free agents (UFAs), the Ducks will have no shortage of them, either. However, those will be mostly key veterans, such as Petr Mrazek, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas.
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The Ducks have more than enough money to make things work with McTavish, but the name of the game is spending it wisely. According to PuckPedia, Anaheim currently has $21.3 million in available cap space—the most in the NHL. Still, if the Ducks intend to make noise and truly compete, they’ll need to allocate that money efficiently.
