Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks: Reaching for Mason MacTavish is a Good Thing

By Ben Thomasian

SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY - JULY 23: With the third pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks select Mason McTavish during the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft at the NHL Network studios on July 23, 2021 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NEW JERSEY - JULY 23: With the third pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks select Mason McTavish during the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft at the NHL Network studios on July 23, 2021 in Secaucus, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Anaheim Ducks
OSHAWA, ON – OCTOBER 20: Mason Mctavish #23 of the Peterborough Petes scores on Andrew Maclean #35 of the Oshawa Generals during an OHL game at the Tribute Communities Centre on October 20, 2019 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/Getty Images) /

Finally, Rebuilding?

Assuming McTavish does go boom, instead of bust, it’s worth noting that every reason why I suggested Murray may like McTavish is correct. He does have an NHL body. In fact, he’s a unit, and he looks like he’ll be hard to stop driving to the net. He does win a lot of draws and he does do all the hard things on the ice. What should be somewhat interesting to fans on this point alone, is that Murray has highlighted an area of concern and has addressed it, in part, through the draft.

Instead of a win-now approach and looking to acquire a ready-made replacement to fix the issue, Murray has taken a step in the rebuilding process to acquire a player who will likely fit in with their young group of Zegras, Drysdale, and Perreault.

It’s also noteworthy that McTavish plays in a way that none of the others currently does. Selecting him at #3 overall may not be a statement from the Rangers telling fans that they’re rebuilding and to be patient, but it’s a tangible, physical action, which shows us that maybe the Anaheim Ducks are at least considering a rebuild in the right way.

There’s no doubt that more moves need to be made to facilitate an actual rebuild of the roster, as simply showing up and making your picks isn’t going to cut it. Why the Ducks weren’t able to or didn’t want to get in on the craziness that was happening around the draft is anyone’s guess and certainly outside the scope of this article. However, from the perspective of showing up and punching the clock, the McTavish pick fills a current and future hole on the roster. It’s a notable pick in that respect and I’m here for it.

Most Anaheim Ducks fans have seen a rebuild coming for the best part of the last half-decade (or longer for some). Once Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry began to fade away, the Ducks were always going to need to rebuild around a new group of stars. That rebuilding effort never really appeared to get started.

If we’re honest, it still hasn’t begun. Though the Ducks have lucked into some nice pieces to build around. McTavish most certainly fits in as one of these nice pieces, and could be a significant part of a Ducks rebuild, should they ever decide to attempt one in earnest. That, at least, is worth getting excited about.

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