It’s trade season! Well, almost. Several insiders across the industry expect trade talks to heat up during the NHL Combine in June, which means teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and Minnesota Wild won’t have to wait too long before taking the temperature of the waters in the trade market this summer.
All four of the above-mentioned teams are expected to be active in the trade market over the next month or so, with the Canadiens particularly keen to take that next step forward after being eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.
While the consensus is that the Canadiens punched above their weight by reaching the conference final, reports coming out of Montreal indicate that general manager Kent Hughes is well placed to take a big swing when teams are legally allowed to engage in trade talks.
Montreal Canadiens’ $42M Trade Target Could Be On the Move
The Canadiens have a need for a capable man down the middle behind captain Nick Suzuki, that much is for certain. Hughes himself admitted he tried to swing big at the trade deadline (for Matthew Knies!?), but it didn’t quite go to plan.
Now, with the Canadiens having some clarity on what’s necessary to compete in the playoffs, trade targets are beginning to emerge.
Montreal has once again been linked with the Anaheim Ducks’ 23-year-old center Mason McTavish, a player they were also interested in last September before he inked a six-year, $42 million extension with Anaheim.
NHL insider Jimmy Murphy reports that the Canadiens are expected to “circle back” on McTavish this summer, especially after he was an occasional scratch in the playoffs. The Athletic’s Chris Johnston added some more fuel to the rumors of McTavish possibly being on the move in the most recent episode of The Chris Johnston Show.
“I think they have to consider this. This isn’t the Ducks pushing him out the door. They signed him to a long-term extension, he’s still a long-term player. They don’t have to do anything. This isn’t a case where Anaheim is in a bind. I think it’s more it didn’t go as well as either he or the team would like,” Johnston reported on his show.
“We’re at an offseason where the Ducks have some big contracts to hand out. Start with Leo Carlsson, who I think is going to get a monster number… With the money that’s going to be spent by Anaheim, I think there’s a case to be made here to see if they can address some other needs with McTavish.”
McTavish didn’t exactly have the best of seasons since signing that $42 million deal with the Ducks. His average ice time and offensive production dipped, but at 23 years old, he does seem to fit what Montreal’s trying to achieve with this roster.
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis will have a lot to work with if they manage to swing a trade for McTavish, whose puck handling and shot made him the third overall draft pick in 2021.
As things stand, there appears to be no sense of urgency from Anaheim to move out McTavish’s deal, but with a few big-money contracts to hand out this summer, the Ducks may have to bite the bullet.
