Ducks RFA center Mason McTavish (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
With NHL general managers and coaches gathered in Detroit for their GM-Coaches meetings this week, will the NHL trade market for a second-line center finally open up as the 2025-26 season approaches?
“I’m not so sure, but I can tell you that talks are already picking up again,” an NHL executive told RG Tuesday night.
“Obviously, with everyone in one place, talks pick up, but what comes of it, we’ll see. I just think there are more buyers than sellers still.”
The biggest name amongst NHL centers potentially available on the NHL trade market right now is Anaheim Ducks restricted free agent center Mason McTavish. With training camp just two weeks away, the third overall pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft remains unsigned, and NHL trade rumors around the 22-year-old pivot are starting to pick up again. However, as another NHL executive told RG on Tuesday afternoon, there’s been no indication yet from Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek that he and the McTavish camp have reached an impasse.
“He hasn’t sent the bat signal out yet that it’s time to talk trade and take the best offer,” this executive said of Verbeek. “The pressure point of camp is coming, but right now they’re not there yet, and I’m not sure they ever get there.”
Based on various conversations over the past week with NHL executive sources and agents, not only are many wondering whether or not the McTavish talks lead to a trade, but also whether any of the big-name centers mentioned in NHL trade rumors throughout the offseason get dealt before the upcoming season begins.
“You keep telling me this team and that team are looking for a 2C, and like I keep asking you, tell me which ones are really available,” an NHL executive source pointed out to RG recently. “I agree there’s been teams looking, but up until this point, I’m not sure how many have really been selling or willing to listen. I think the [Marco] Rossi market wasn’t as big as some were reporting, and that’s why he signed.”
As the NHL offseason kicked off in earnest with the NHL Entry Draft at the end of June, multiple teams embarked on a search for a second-line center. Throughout this past offseason, names like the aforementioned Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (who signed a three-year, $15 million contract on August 22), McTavish, Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann, Calgary Flames veteran center Nazem Kadri, and Boston Bruins forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Pavel Zacha have all been bantered about on the NHL trade rumor circuit.
As for the teams that have been searching for and continue to be on the hunt for that highly coveted 2C slot in their roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Montreal Canadiens remain the most active. As reported by RG NHL insider Marco D’Amico, the latter are expected to unload the $10.5 million cap hit occupied by future Hall of Fame goalie Cary Price this week. As D’Amico reported, a subsequent trade to fill the Canadiens’ 2C slot is also expected.
“I’ve heard Price’s contract being in play for a while; things should shake loose as of September 1st or soon after,” a source told RG. “I can’t see the Canadiens going into the season with that anchor on their salary cap.”
As another source pointed out in the same article, though, just because the Canadiens can unload that cap space, that doesn’t mean that they will automatically find a trade partner for their coveted second-line center.
“I haven’t heard anything is imminent with a top-six center with training camps set to start in a few weeks, but I have heard that they’re monitoring a few situations in case teams have a change of heart between now and the December Roster Freeze,” a well-placed source told D’Amico.
Obviously, it just takes one conversation in Detroit or one bad conversation between the Ducks and the McTavish camp to spark a trade before the season begins, but for now, he and the aforementioned trade targets just don’t seem to be as available as many have reported or hoped for.