The Anaheim Ducks announced deals for three draft picks, inking Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger and Sasha Pastujov to three-year, entry-level contracts.
It was reported Thursday that Pastujov would be signing, as his plans for next season have changed. The young forward took back his commitment to the University of Notre Dame and will instead play for the Guelph Storm of the OHL. A player in the NCAA isn’t able to ink an NHL contract, but that’s not the case for someone in the CHL. Pastujov can continue his development in the junior league while also being under contract with the Ducks, receiving his signing bonus in the process.
The 18-year-old was a big-time offensive threat for the U.S. National Team Development Program but dropped to the third round of the recent draft. The Ducks snapped him up with the 66th pick and hope he can continue that development path in the OHL. Pastujov’s contract will slide forward should he spend the year in junior, meaning the first season will not be burned in 2021-22.
For Zellweger, it’s much of the same story. The 34th overall pick from this year’s draft, he’ll be heading back to the WHL to refine what is an intriguing package of tools. Just 5-10, Zellweger is one of the youngest players in the 2021 draft class and won’t even turn 18 until next month. He flew up draft boards this year, going from C-rated to the start of the second round. There’s no doubt that size will be a challenge, but scouts rave about Zellweger’s maturity, work ethic and hockey IQ, not to mention his obvious skating ability.
The big fish in this group though is McTavish, the third-overall pick from last month’s draft. Physically, McTavish could likely handle the grind of an NHL season right now. The Swiss-born, Canadian center spent this year overseas playing for Olten EHC where he scored nine goals and 11 points in just 13 games. His physical, bang-and-crash style makes a fan of every coach he plays for, as McTavish regularly engages down low and comes out with control of the puck. That’s not to say he lacks offensive flair, though there may not be the same kind of scoring upside in McTavish as future teammate Trevor Zegras.
That’s likely exactly why the Ducks are so excited by the pick, as the 18-year-old can provide a stylistic complement to the slick Zegras down the middle in Anaheim. While those days still may have to wait for a little while, there’s little doubt that McTavish will climb the ranks quickly and become an NHL talent before long. If he does return to junior this season for the Peterborough Petes, it will be more about letting him dominate a level offensively and perhaps play at the World Juniors. His contract—like the other two—would slide if that happens, meaning the Ducks would have McTavish signed through at least 2024-25.
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