The St. Louis Blues were on the clock for the 15th-overall 2026 NHL Entry Draft pick, and then we could tell something was happening. That is when the Mason McTavish trade was announced. The Blues also had the 29th-overall pick, and apparently it was enough for general manager Doug Armstrong to land the highly sought-after McTavish. Let’s unpack the details of this trade.
Credit Image: © Peter Joneleit/Cal Sport Media
Mason McTavish Trade Goes Down at ’26 Draft, as He’s Off to St. Louis
McTavish had been one of the most rumoured players to potentially be traded, as the summer offseason has been in full effect for a couple weeks now. And with good cause. He is a very skilled player, but saw a dip in production in 2025-26. However, that was largely caused by the fact he was trying to be defensively responsible for two young, but skilled players, Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke. But McTavish did not seem to be a part of head coach Joel Quenneville’s larger plan.
In 2024-25, he had 22 goals, 30 assists for 52 points in 76 games. However, in 2025-26, he had 17 goals and 24 assists, in 75 games. He also had his defensive play questioned. But really, he was just learning himself. He will be a good fit to replace some of the scoring carried by Jordan Kyrou, following his departure to the Washington Capitals. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in St. Louis, no doubt.
Anaheim’s Take on the Trade
It seems that Anaheim hasn’t been in it for futures, as per Friedman in explaining the trade. Therefore, he was insinuating that they might be thinking of trading their picks, and continuing to build their roster as they challenge in the Pacific Division Stanley Cup Playoff contention race.
However, after the trade was announced, the Ducks used the 15th-overall pick on the first Russian selected in the draft, Nikita Klepov. He had been playing for the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL. Klepov had a monster year in Saginaw with 97 points in 67 games. He has the potential to fit nicely with Leo Carlsson and the other skilled and young forwards in Anaheim.
TRADE ALERT | Blues acquire Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for picks No. 15 and 29. pic.twitter.com/z1TCej6ezj
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 27, 2026
Main Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
