Ducks sign Mason McTavish to six-year extension

McTavish had not been with the team for the first week of the preseason, as he sat out training camp while he was waiting for a new deal. Instead, the Ottawa native returned home to skate with the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, McTavish sought a bridge contract, while the Ducks were thinking in the longer term.

McTavish had come to the end of his three-year, entry-level contract last season. The deal had a cap hit of $894,167, but had an AAV of $3,394,167 due to $2.5 million in performance bonuses.

The thought of McTavish not being with the team for the start of the 2025-26 season was a little unsettling to fans in Orange County. The 22-year-old is part of a young core in Anaheim that’s expecting to make a little more noise in the Pacific Division this coming year. Along with fellow youngsters Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Olen Zellweger, the Ducks are hoping they can finally shake off the rebuild label in a couple of years.

The former Brantford Bulldog had a respectable rookie season, as he scored 43 points in 2023-23. The following season, he finished third on the team in scoring. This past year, McTavish led Anaheim with 22 goals, finishing second behind Troy Terry with 52 points in 76 games.

In 229 NHL appearances, McTavish has scored 60 goals and 80 assists for 140 points.

With the signing, Anaheim still has a little over $13.5 million in projected cap space for the 2025-26 season, according to PuckPedia. The Ducks finished sixth in the Pacific last season, missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the eighth year in a row.