Mason McTavish Saga Sparks New Hope for Canadiens Fans After Latest Buzz Out of Anaheim

At 22 years old, this promising center, drafted 3rd overall in 2021, is threatening to boycott training camp if no contract agreement is reached by then.

Negotiations have been stalling for months: McTavish is aiming for a bridge deal, while the Ducks are pushing for a long-term contract of 7 years at $7 or $8 million per season.

According to Elliotte Friedman, on his 32 Thoughts podcast, he highlighted that Ducks GM Pat Verbeek wants McTavish to "earn" his big salary before granting it.

Reports coming out of Anaheim suggest that McTavish is not finding this amusing at all, and his relationship with Ducks management could be deteriorating.

For Habs fans, this obviously looks like a potential bargain. Kent Hughes has been monitoring the situation closely since the summer, seeing McTavish as the ideal No. 2 center to stabilize the second line behind Nick Suzuki.

Let's not forget McTavish was once again linked to the Canadiens earlier this week.

With 22 goals and 52 points in 2024-2025 and a gritty style made possible by his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, McTavish has a profile tailor-made for Montreal-and Kent Hughes has the assets to pique Pat Verbeek's interest.

Still, caution is needed: the Canadiens' salary cap is already nearing its limits. Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, and Zachary Bolduc will soon demand substantial raises.

Speaking of Bolduc, let's not kid ourselves: Pat Verbeek and the Ducks could very well demand him in a trade for McTavish, along with a young player like David Reinbacher.

Hughes, who has demonstrated responsible management on many occasions, must be careful.

But hey, fans can keep dreaming as long as young McTavish remains unsigned.