Mason McTavish, Jamie Drysdale probable to return to Anaheim Ducks lineup against Calgary Flames

McTavish has missed the last seven games due to an upper-body injury, but looked like he could potentially dress for the Ducks as early as last week. McTavish struggled before his injury, going four straight games without a goal with a minus-7 rating and just six shots on goal.

Still, it’s been a strong season for McTavish, who has emerged as one of the team’s MVPs. He has 10 goals and 21 points in 24 games, putting him on pace for a 31-goal, 65-point pace. McTavish was one of the NHL’s top rookies in 2022-23, scoring 17 goals and 43 points. But with Trevor Zegras dealing with injuries, McTavish was able to step up big for the Ducks early on, even helping them into a playoff spot at one point.

Drysdale, meanwhile, has been limited to just 10 games total over the past two seasons. The 21-year-old from Toronto, Ontario has been out since Oct. 15 due to a lower-body injury, adding on to his torn labrum that took him out for all but eight games in 2022-23.

But when healthy, Drysdale has been a stout young defender. The former OHL standout has seven goals and 42 points in 115 games while looking good as a power-play dynamo. Drysdale signed a three-year contract extension this past summer with an annual average value of $2.3 million.

Zegras, meanwhile, remains on injured reserve with a lower-body issue.

After facing off against Calgary, the Ducks will welcome the Seattle Kraken to town on Dec. 23 before getting a four-day Christmas break. The Ducks will then host Vegas on Dec. 27 before closing out the calendar year with games against Arizona (Dec. 29) and Edmonton (Dec. 31).