Evaluating whether Mason McTavish make sense as a target for the Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames have continued down their path of becoming a younger team. There’s a strong want to be competitive by the time the new arena opens in 2027. A talking point surrounding the Flames for a good while now has been an under-25-year-old centre.

Inside the Flames’ own division, the Anaheim Ducks have had rumours follow them around for most of the offseason. One name that has hit the circulation has been current restricted free-agent Mason McTavish. If McTavish really is available, should the Flames inquire?

A breakdown of McTavish’s career so far

The journey to professional hockey

Like many top Canadian prospects, McTavish lit up AAA hockey before joining the junior scene. His impressive seasons would have him drafted fifth overall in the 2019 OHL Draft by the Peterborough Petes. McTavish debuted right away in the 2019–20 season for the Petes. His stat line read an outstanding 29 goals alongside 42 points in 57 games.

With a cancelled season due to the global pandemic in 2020–21, McTavish would be loaned overseas to the Swiss League. There, he would continue his dominance in his goal-scoring habits with nine goals and 11 points in 13 games. Playoffs made him look even better with seven points in four games. He served as captain for Canada at the historic U18 World Juniors and led them to gold with five goals and 11 points in seven games.

McTavish’s season had him pinned around the edges of the top 10 into the mid-teens for his draft ranking. The Anaheim Ducks shocked many people when they jumped up to the podium to select McTavish third overall at the 2021 NHL Draft.

Following being drafted, McTavish would make the opening night roster, serve his nine-game stint scoring his first NHL goal, and accumulate three points in those games. His return to Peterborough would be a short five games, with six goals and seven points, before being shipped out to the Hamilton Bulldogs. There, McTavish would explode for 14 goals and 40 points in 24 games.

The playoffs were just as good, as McTavish and the Bulldogs would be crowned champions after a game seven victory. McTavish’s efforts were 16 goals and 29 points in 19 games. The stock would continue to rise as he won gold with Canada at the World Juniors, where he posted eight goals and 17 points in seven games.

NHL career

In 2022–23, McTavish would make the jump to the NHL to play for the Ducks full time. McTavish’s season became more stock to add to the climb that had begun ever since he got drafted. With 80 games under his belt, he would total 17 goals and 43 points. That would place him 4th in team scoring as a 20-year-old rookie.

Following into 2023–24, the Ducks would show full faith in McTavish, as not only would they give him a higher role, they would name him an alternate captain at just 21 years old. Despite facing injuries, McTavish pretty much matched his production from the prior season. In only 64 games, he would find the back of the net 19 times and tally 42 points. That placed him tied with Adam Henrique for third most points on the team.

Onto this past season, McTavish continued his trend of improved production. With only a handful of games missed this year, he picked his first 20-goal and 50-point season. In 76 games, McTavish had produced 22 goals and 52 points, while trailing only Troy Terry in team scoring.

Improvements were definitely there, but it wasn’t necessarily the big jump many were hoping for McTavish to have. It didn’t help that his ice-time only slightly increased from 2023–24 when he should’ve been playing a much bigger role. At 22 years old, McTavish is still a power forward with tons of potential left in the tank.

Will a move happen?

The rumours surrounding McTavish have been a little shaky. Nothing certainly seems set in stone, and comes from more speculation than a few bites from reports. It seems like his name is out there in conversations amongst teams and the Ducks, but how much fire is really there is unclear. Conversations between him and the Ducks don’t really seem to have much ground either. Other than the trade route, McTavish is a candidate to get offer sheeted the longer he sits unsigned.

This certainly isn’t a case of reports where a trade will happen for sure. There’s still enough to tap into the idea of the possibility of a move, however. A source shared that the Flames are one of the several teams that have been in and around the McTavish situation.

Is McTavish a good candidate for the Flames?

McTavish is a name that will cause people to perk up, with him potentially being available. Being 22 years old, a centre, strong power-forward, and a born-leader brings many qualities to the table that teams will love. With the direction the Flames are headed, someone like McTavish definitely fits their timeline.

The positives

There are plenty of positives to go around when it comes to Mason McTavish. The first being positional need. As a centre, McTavish plays one of the most crucial positions in hockey, and the one most lacking on the Flames roster. The Flames need an upgrade at the centre position or at least a young guy with tons of potential. McTavish could serve as both.

McTavish’s playstyle is one that leads to success, and that has very much shown so far with his career results. He’s a big, physical power-forward. The only fear that is in his game is the fear he can instill in his opponents. A hard-nosed worker who will fight in the dirtier areas for his team to have success. Puck-battles, net-front play, or big booming hits, McTavish can do any. It also helps that he lays it all out on the ice and never lets up his effort.

His knack for goal-scoring makes him an efficient option to produce. He doesn’t have the craziest shot, but with his smarts and positioning, the goal-scoring comes. Rebounds, tip-ins, deflections, or nicely placed shots are all amongst McTavish’s toolbox. McTavish packs in a strong stance and good hands that allow him to make moves past defenders. He can protect the puck well and make drives towards the net. Other times, he can make slick plays with the puck and generate high-danger scoring chances. Between his physicality and offensive talent, it’s hard not to like McTavish’s game.

Another thing to like is that McTavish is a natural-born leader. Thanks to his never-ending motor and his relentless ability to never give up, you really see it out on the ice. He’s been the captain of Canada at many tournaments at many different levels. He already has an “A” on his sweater in Anaheim to show the leadership he brings. McTavish does seem like the type of guy you’d want in your locker room for years.

McTavish brings a style of play that is versatile. You could play him a more forechecking centric line that applies pressure and generates offence through that. Or you could play him on a more skilled line and let his physicality be the complementary piece.

The negatives

Honestly, it’s a little difficult to come up with negatives for McTavish. The first comes down to how much faith you have in his ceiling. His development didn’t necessarily stagnate this past season, but it didn’t take any huge leaps either. He certainly has potential left in him, and one so-so season doesn’t completely write him off. But he hasn’t shown progression to a top-line centre quite yet.

His production is more similar to a second-line centre, and his game has never had a ton of flair to it. These are all factors that could make a team hesitate and think that maybe he’s closer to his peak than one would think.

If the Flames see him as more of that high-end second-line centre from their viewings, would it be worth it if their real hunt should be for the top-line? Even if they see him as a top-line centre, he’s likely not going to be a franchise-changing piece.

The negatives towards McTavish really just come down to the faith in the player and the evaluation. Is the price to acquire him too high for how he is viewed? Would he just end up as another 2C for the team? Does he block the possibility of getting the more skilled guys he’d complement?

Would McTavish be worth it for the Flames?

Mason McTavish is a physical, skilled centre with lots of potential left. Ever since being drafted, McTavish has improved from year to year, gaining more and more trust. Personally, I would definitely be happy if the Flames acquired McTavish at the right price. He’s a strong, powerful centre with a knack for scoring goals who isn’t afraid to throw his body. Players like that are very crucial to the sport of hockey.

I do have some hesitation as I certainly don’t view McTavish as a future bonafide first line centre who drives you to the promised land. He will definitely be a level of player that is huge in winning a Stanley Cup, but I don’t know if he’s one of the guys at the forefront. On the other hand, McTavish’s potential is super intriguing as his playstyle does have the potential to create a player who doesn’t have to score as much to be as impactful.

McTavish is a player who brings a lot to the table. The potential and play-style alone would make McTavish a potential well-worth-it add for the Flames if he is truly on the market. If the price is right, I believe it’s a trigger you pull most of the time.