{"id":472887,"date":"2025-07-28T08:27:57","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T12:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=472887"},"modified":"2025-07-28T04:44:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T08:44:53","slug":"key-off-season-decision-remains-for-2025-26-anaheim-ducks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/07\/28\/key-off-season-decision-remains-for-2025-26-anaheim-ducks\/","title":{"rendered":"A Key Off-Season Decision for the Anaheim Ducks"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s the long days of summer and the offseason for the NHL, but tensions are rising in Anaheim. There is a lot of chatter circling around Mason McTavish’s contract situation and what the Ducks are going to do. The Anaheim Ducks face a pivotal decision on the Mason McTavish<\/a> contract. Here’s a data-backed look at how they should approach it.<\/p>\n

What the Ducks Should Do About the Mason McTavish Contract<\/h2>\n

McTavish\u2019s entry-level contract expired after the 2024\u201325 season, making him a restricted free agent (RFA) at age 22. The Ducks control his rights and have significant cap space, meaning only an offer sheet with a cap hit above $7.02 million could even tempt the Ducks. Anaheim is well-positioned to match it anyway (via PuckPedia<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The reality is, despite speculation, general manager\u00a0Pat Verbeek<\/a> isn\u2019t going to trade McTavish, and no fan-proposed trade has come close to justifying that kind of move. The key question, then, isn\u2019t whether McTavish stays. It\u2019s what kind of contract structure makes the most sense, both in dollars and term.<\/p>\n

McTavish\u2019s Value by the Numbers<\/h3>\n

McTavish finished 2024\u201325 with 52 points in 76 games,<\/a> a 0.68 point-per-game clip. Also, he served as Anaheim\u2019s third-line centre<\/a>. While that placement undersells his impact, and he will surely see a promotion in 2025-2026, McTavish\u2019s offensive production was strong across multiple advanced metrics:<\/p>\n