The Montreal Canadiens had an active offseason. Not only did they acquire defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, but the team also managed to trade off Carey Price’s contract to free some valuable cap space.
However, while the preseason may already be underway, the Canadiens still have one more target they would like to have. And that is the Anaheim Ducks’ Mason McTavish. But for Montreal fans, bad news might be waiting for them.
Insider Drops Disappointing News About Montreal’s Trade Pursuit
Since the offseason started, the Canadiens have shown clear interest in acquiring McTavish after the center became an RFA at the end of last season. However, the Ducks and GM Pat Verbeek have made it clear that McTavish remains a cornerstone player for the franchise.
And while McTavish is yet to re-sign with the Ducks, Verbeek seems positive that the center will remain in Anaheim. And now, insider Marco D’Amico has one more piece of bad news for the Canadiens, who have been keeping an eye on McTavish.
D’Amico appeared on the latest episode of “The Shaun Starr Show,” joining host Starr to discuss the Canadiens’ pursuit of McTavish. The insider mentioned that if Kirby Dach fails to perform as a reliable second-line center, then Montreal might be forced to pursue McTavish as an option.
He continued, “That’s where they’re looking at it. You know, fans have been asking for Mason McTavish all summer. Pat Verbeek has given everybody the bird whenever they’ve asked about McTavish. I could tell you this.”
D’Amico believes Verbeek has no intention of letting McTavish go. According to him, acquiring the center is like a pipe dream for Montreal. And while other teams would love to land him, McTavish himself doesn’t seem interested in leaving Anaheim.
He pointed out that offer sheets were possible all summer, yet none materialized. But McTavish’s camp didn’t bother to know anything about it. D’Amico believes that the interest simply wasn’t there.
It is simply a tough negotiation between the Ducks and him. He mentioned that this was unlike the Dobson situation, where the D-man wanted to come play with the Canadiens, while Montreal also had the assets.
“I feel like the Canadians would rather bring in a piece that could help this team get to the next level and give Michael Hage a little time. And so, I only feel like the Canadians would be aggressive in pulling the trigger on a guy like [Evgeni] Malkin if they’re sure that he could play again next year and for them,” D’Amico told Starr.
According to D’Amico, Montreal is more likely to prioritize Hage as a potential top-six center in their prospect pipeline rather than pursue McTavish. He also noted that if the Penguins stumble this season and Malkin considers waiving his no-move clause, the Canadiens would be more inclined to chase the veteran star.