Is Mason McTavish the Missing Piece for Montreal Canadiens’ Second Line Dominance?

When you look at the ongoing chatter around Mason McTavish, it’s clear that this isn’t just another name tossed around the NHL rumor mill. The Montreal Canadiens, itching for a solid second-line center, could find exactly what they’re craving in McTavish’s versatile game. I mean, Dave Pagnotta from the Fourth Period laid it out pretty plainly on TSN Radio in Montreal—McTavish isn’t just ticking boxes; he’s practically rewriting the checklist. But here’s the kicker: the Ducks aren’t just handing him over without a fight. They’re juggling their young assets and future prospects, weighing how any deal might shape the trajectory of their rebuild. It’s a complex puzzle where the Canadiens’ willingness to package a tempting offer clashes with Anaheim’s vision for impact. Has the landscape shifted since July? Possibly. The whispers grow louder, phone lines warmer, and the stakes higher. The question isn’t just whether Montreal has what it takes—it’s whether both teams are ready to make the leap. LEARN MORE

Will Mason McTavish Fit the Needs of Not Only the Montreal Canadiens

Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was on TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked about the fit for Mason McTavish with the Montreal Canadiens.

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

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Host: “Would Montreal have what it takes to pry him out of Anaheim, because Dave, all we’ve been talking about this summer is how the Canadians need a second line center, and that guy, just the type of player that he is, he’s the ideal fit for Montreal.”

Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah, without question, he checks a lot of boxes for the Canadiens. I don’t know, again, I don’t know what, what the Ducks would be looking for if they do explore this seriously based on, from an a young asset pool perspective, prospects and so on, yeah, the Canadiens have a ton of that, and they’ve got, if they wanted to package something up, I’m sure there’s enough there, more than enough that would entice the Ducks to at least take a look.

Now I know back in July, when this started to come out, that the Canadiens hadn’t had discussions at that time with Anaheim. Has that changed over the last six weeks, five, six weeks? It’s entirely possible, but at the beginning of this, they weren’t in that mix. But again, things can certainly change as more words come out, teams want to call in and just check in and do their due diligence.

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And Kent Hughes is like everybody else, he will certainly do that. He’s not afraid to pick up the phone and just see what’s going on. But yes, in terms of the fit and what the Canadiens are looking for, without question, Mason McTavish would fit that bill. But do the Ducks want a package involving young/future assets, are they looking to do something more impactful to enhance and continue the trajectory that they’re on in terms of their rebuild?

That what they need to figure out. And if the Habs are serious in this, that’s what they’re going to have to figure out, too in terms of potentially putting something together that entices the Ducks to make something happen.”

Is Mason McTavish a Second Line Center in the NHL?

Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was on TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked in the follow-up about how McTavish is viewed around the NHL. Is he a 2c for the teams pursuing him?

NHLRumors.com Transcriptions

Host: “Dave, what kind of player do you think Mason McTavish is at his best?”

Pagnotta: “Well, I think, I think 2C fits. But 2C on and from a potential ceiling perspective. A 2C on a championship type roster. You’re looking at a guy that certainly fits the mold of today’s game. There’s a lot of skill with this player. He has good size and offensively, the skill sets there. Does he plateau at a 70-80, points? Is he a 60-70? I mean, ultimately, a lot of that depends a lot on team structure, style and implementation and things like that.

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But from a championship caliber esque team, you’re looking at a guy that can play, if you’re keeping him at center, you’re looking at a guy that’s your prototypical stud 2C on a championship caliber roster. Do the Canadiens view him as that? Do other teams view him as that? I think there are a lot of teams that view him in high regard, but so do the Ducks. So that’s why, we haven’t seen much movement there.

I think they wanted things to kind of cool down after that July 1 time zone kind of kicked in, and just, all right, let’s all calm down. Let’s see where we’re going to go this coming season. Let’s have a quick chat. And this is how we view you, this is how we plan on deploying you and so on and so forth.

It doesn’t sound like that’s cool things down too much in terms of their side and their willingness. But the Ducks again, they control the asset. That’s what he is. They want to wait things out and push things forward. They can do that.”

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