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Predators Land Mason McTavish in Suggested Trade With Ducks
Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks are two teams that are looking to come up from the bottom of the standings, but both of them are in slightly different situations. The Predators spent a ton of money last summer bringing in several big-name free agents, including Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, but they missed the postseason and were one of the worst teams in the NHL last season.

The Ducks have been in the middle of a rebuild for the past several seasons, and while they are expected to take a step forward next season, they still have someone they have to get signed before the season gets going, and that’s restricted free agent (RFA) forward Mason McTavish.

McTavish, who is 22 years old, remains without a new deal at the time of this article. Last season, he scored 22 goals and added 30 assists for 52 points through 76 games, which comes out to a 0.68 points-per-game average. There haven’t been any indications that the Ducks and McTavish won’t get a deal done, but in a reality where they are too far apart in negotiations and they look to trade him, the Predators make sense as a fit in a hypothetical trade.

McTavish Adds Strong Youth to Predators, Ducks Receive Promise

The Predators didn’t get much out of their new additions, and they finished 7th in the Central Division and 30th overall in the NHL. They were able to get a high pick at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but their goal will be to make it to the playoffs this time around, rather than being eliminated and hoping they win the draft lottery.

Making a splash for a player like McTavish shows that they are willing to move toward a strong youth movement and strengthen their future. He also helps them win more games now, and he would almost immediately step into a major role for them.

In a hypothetical deal, the Predators acquire McTavish from the Ducks in exchange for Zachary L’Heureux, Fyodor Svechkov, and their 2026 second-round pick, which could become a first-round pick under conditions of McTavish reaching a certain point total, just to give the Predators some risk protection.

This deal would have to come with a new deal for McTavish, and the Predators have more than enough money to get a new deal signed. Realistically, they sign him to a seven-year deal worth $6.75 million annually, with some trade protection for the first four years of the deal, which loosens up for the final three seasons of the deal.

The Ducks receive two promising players in L’Heureux and Svechkov, and while neither of them may bring quite the offensive production that McTavish does, they can slide into their lineup as depth players and fill out their bottom-six forward group.

L’Heureux, who is 22 years old, scored five goals and added 10 assists for 15 points through 62 games last season. Svechkov, who is also 22 years old, scored eight goals and added nine assists for 17 points through 52 games last season.

The Ducks adding a high draft pick likely gets this deal done. The two players they bring in with this deal aren’t equal value to McTavish, and while they are solid players who still have a chance to break out as soon as next season, there is risk involved with both players, but a fresh start could be beneficial for both of them.

As mentioned, this is just a hypothetical deal, and the belief is that the Ducks will re-sign McTavish soon. Of course, there is likely some interest from around the league in McTavish, but it doesn’t seem likely that he gets dealt. If he does, it would come as a surprise, but the Predators make sense as a fit.

As the 2025-26 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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