Marc Dumont
The silly season is upon us, which means the Montreal Canadiens will be tied to almost every available trade target, or upcoming free agent, including Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish.
With that in mind, we should take the rumours with a grain of salt, as Habs general manager Kent Hughes runs a very tight ship that usually does not leak. For the most part, if there’s trade information including the Canadiens that is legitimate, it will come from an outside source.
David Pagnotta: Re Canadiens: They're poking around on guys like Mason McTavish; we know about Matthew Knies, and they've circled back in some way; is Calgary looking to move Zach Whitecloud; Rasmus Ristolainen – Fourth Period (6/23)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 24, 2026
This doesn’t prevent us from evaluating the potential targets, as there’s always truth to the idea that the Canadiens want to improve their lineup, to build on their encouraging playoff run in 2025-26, which saw them reach the Eastern Conference Final.
McTavish Trade Value
The Ducks forward has five years left on a contract that carries a $7 million annual average value (AAV), and he will be an unrestricted free agent once it expires in 2031.
The Canadiens would be able to absorb his contract, but to do so, trading Brendan Gallagher is in order, as it would give Hughes the financial manoeuvrability necessary to work on other potential trades.
McTavish Production
He’s fresh off a rather underwhelming season from a production standpoint, having scored 17 goals and 24 assists. This is down from his best season in the NHL, 2024-25, which saw him score 22 goals and 30 assists.
Given that he’s 23 years old, a downtick in production is a significant red flag, especially when we consider he was playing with very talented linemates in Beckett Sennecke and Cutter Gauthier.
He missed part of training camp due to a contract dispute, a situation that likely lowered his standing within the organization, not to mention according to the head coach. It’s also worth noting McTavish was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, yet another issue worth weighing when analyzing his potential impact with the Habs.
After all, the Canadiens are looking for a player who will be able to move the needle on a nightly basis. Reclamation projects are a little more risky now that the team has its goals set much higher than in previous years.
McTavish doesn’t necessarily qualify as your classic reclamation project because he’s managed to produce at least 40 points in all four of his NHL seasons, but the fact remains that the third overall pick at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has yet to really tap into the heightened level of potential attached to him earlier in his career.
Style Of Play
The 6’1″ centre plays a rough-and-tumble brand of hockey, with a focus on creating chaos in the offensive zone via big hits and a heavy forecheck.
He’s at his best when physical play is at the forefront of the matchup. He has an excellent shot, which he does not hesitate to unleash whenever an opportunity arises.
Unfortunately, his skating leaves something to be desired, which would prevent him from being an ideal fit in a system that has a bevy of ultra-mobile players. The Canadiens play quick and hard. McTavish can help with the latter, but not with the former. Additionally, a player such as McTavish would likely be acquired to play on the second line, alongside Ivan Demidov, which means speed is key.
McTavish can shift to the wing, something he did numerous times during his time with the Ducks, adding a little versatility to the mix.
However, the Ducks are short on centres, which makes his usage, not to mention the healthy scratches, somewhat concerning.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
If the Canadiens trade for McTavish and his $7 million contract, they would be acquiring a player who definitely fits within the ideal age range. He knows how to score goals, and his physical presence would be a godsent for a team hoping to become a little tougher.
But if the goal is to upgrade the No. 2 centre position, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that McTavish would be a considerable upgrade on Oliver Kapanen from a goal-scoring standpoint.
Kapanen is younger, faster, has more experience playing with Demidov, and scored 22 goals as a rookie. In other words, he matched McTavish’s career best in his lone season in the league. Neither player is a defensive specialist, though McTavish gets the edge in that department.
The biggest sticking point when comparing both players is the cost of acquisition. Kapanen is already member of the Canadiens, and is currently being paid peanuts due to his entry-level contract.
McTavish, on the other hand, would likely cost an arm and a leg to acquire, since it’s currently a seller’s market, and centres never come cheap. Given the reality of the situation, a trade for Mason McTavish would check some boxes, but there are too many red flags to consider it the type of deal that would highly interest Hughes and the Canadiens.
