Should the Habs Trade for Mason McTavish
by Ryan Snow
The Habs are still looking for that elusive number two centre. Right now there are a couple of options available, and one that could be a possibility is Mason McTavish. Reports say that contract negotiations for the 22 year old RFA are not going smoothly so Hughes could swoop in and acquire him should the price be right.
In McTavish you have a player who is a 6’1 left hand shot and was drafted 3rd overall by the Ducks in 2021. The Habs have Suzuki at 5’11, Newhook at 5’11 and Evans at 6’0, so having a bigger centre is really a must.
Also, he plays the game extremely well. He possesses a very hard shot and is a very skilled playmaker, so there is a good balance there. Furthermore, his high hockey IQ makes him an effective player in the offensive and defensive zone, so again he would fit well in the system St-Louis has established. He is not the fastest skater, but is not slow either, just about average in terms of foot speed, but this is not detrimental to his game. His face-off percentage last year was 50.7 which is not bad and would be a welcome addition. Slotting him on a line with Demidov and Lane would make for a strong puck possession line with tremendous amounts of skill and offence.
Like I said, he is an RFA right now and he’s projected to make around 6.5 on a new deal, but apparently he’s looking for something between 7-8 million. As it stands, this appears to be the sticking point based on reports.
The issue for the Habs would be the price to acquire him. I imagine it would take a lot.
I’m sure the names of Hage, Fowler, Reinbacher, Engstrom, a first round pick, and an impact roster player will be mentioned should the two GMs discuss trade.
I’m no GM, but I would personally be willing to part with Hage, Engstrom, Dach and a first/second to get this done. Not everything on the previous list, but I would consider it. These are all very good players, but you need to give up quality to get quality. I doubt the Ducks would want Matheson as he is a UFA at the end of the year, and I would personally keep him as I love his skating and leadership.
By picking up McTavish, the Habs get a young player under team control who has proven to be a very effective player at the NHL level. If this deal is available, I say do it!