Anaheim Ducks: Reaching for Mason MacTavish is a Good Thing

By the time you’ve begun to read this, you’ve no doubt scoured the internet for every single word ever written about Anaheim Ducks’ newest draft pick, Mason McTavish. You’ve probably gone from “Why not *insert name*?” to “You know what, this kid is probably the next Getzlaf.” Or at least something like that.

With that in mind, I don’t feel the need to create yet another after-the-fact draft profile or to discuss every single thing that is good about this player. What I would like to do, however, is discuss what this draft selection is to Bob Murrays Ducks and why we as fans should be more excited than perhaps we are.

“I really admire the way Ryan Getzlaf plays. He is a big center, he gets around pretty well and obviously as you know has high-end skills.” – Mason McTavish

Let’s not beat around the bush, the Ducks reached for McTavish. His was a talent that was projected anywhere from the 9th through to the ’20s, with most pundits settling in the mid-teens. McTavish’s draft year in the OHL was wiped out by the global pandemic, and his D-1 season didn’t present production which would typically scream top-3 pick. Sure, he went oversea’s and scored some goals against men, but that’s a little harder to compare to his peers.

There is an absolute case to be made that the Ducks could have traded back, and traded back again, and still acquired this player along with any assets they would have received along the way. That scenario, however, is merely a fantasy that didn’t occur and thus, has no bearing on this discussion. It’s also worth noting that Martin Madden, the Ducks assistant GM, flagged this option after the draft and noted that there simply wasn’t enough of a return involved to warrant any increased in doing so.

This then puts the pressure squarely on the Ducks as much of this draft picks future value hinges upon the OHL season being wiped away and the Ducks being correct in their projections. This mindset, to back themselves in, is itself, worthy of discussion. The Ducks, to put it mildly, do not have a strong history of forwards that were drafted in Murray’s era. This mild critique is especially true of power forwards.

Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen the Ducks take Nick Ritchie at 10th overall and the very highly touted Max Jones late in the first round. Neither has been well developed. Ritchie was brought into the NHL far too early and he spent several seasons looking lost on the ice. Jones was brought in and played almost exclusively in the bottom-6 with no power-play time.

However, this isn’t necessarily a criticism of the draft process, but one of the Ducks development system. Last season we saw the Ducks bring in Jamie Drysdale at least one season too early. Earlier in the decade, Bob Murray “couldn’t see John Gibson in the AHL” leading to his coming into the team earlier than he perhaps should have, subsequently leading into his prevailing soft tissue injuries.

The inability to correctly develop young athletes is a long-term concern for Ducks fans. However, it’s worth noting that the development coach for nearly all of the current Ducks has either been Dallas Eakins or Kevin Dineen.

All these players have been stars or on the right track to success, before coming to a screaming halt in San Diego… or Iowa, or wherever the Ducks affiliate was in any given season. The drafting wasn’t necessarily wrong. The development of the players those draft picks became, was.

Circling Back to Mason McTavish

Bob Murray is no doubt excited about the tools which McTavish presents. At face value, he’s a big-bodied center who hit’s like a truck and gets into all the hard places on the ice to earn his keep. These things suggest that he has the archetype to draw a lot of calls in the NHL, which is something Murray flagged in the offseason as something the Ducks have trouble doing.

Murray will also like that he can win draws in the face-off circle and that he contributes on the penalty kill. If Trevor Zegras is to be the offensive dream that Murray hopes will eventually replace Ryan Getzlaf, then McTavish appears to be that big-bodied defensive player who can replace Ryan Kesler. At least to an extent.

I know what you’re thinking: “So Benny, you’re telling me the Ducks drafted another two-way power forward? But this time they had to reach instead of taking the talent on offer?”

Why This Little Reach Is a Good Thing for the Anaheim Ducks

First, let’s talk about the reach. In Murray’s entire tenure with the Anaheim Ducks, it’s hard to find a first-round draft selection that was truly off the board. Looking back, Hampus Lindholm was perhaps the biggest “reach” of the group and even he was a pretty safe bet.

In recent seasons, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale were as close to Murray’s M.O. as could possibly be imagined, in a playmaking pivot and a mobile defensive player. Brayden Tracey was amongst the best options available in his draft position. Nick Ritchie was one of the strongest scorers in his draft class. The list goes on.

This is what makes the McTavish selection so exciting. There were clear options for Murray to go in. William Eklund was the Swedish two-way forward with NHL-ready play. We know how much Bob Murray loves those. Simon Edvinsson was the tall-framed Swedish defenseman. The Ducks don’t have the moniker of Swedenheim for no reason.

Dylan Guenther was the pure goal scorer from the WHL. Given the sheer number of WHL players the Ducks drafted this season, it would be incredibly out of the ordinary for the Ducks to not have scouted Guenther. It’s also noteworthy to mention previous WHL scoring star Emerson Etem was once drafted by the Anaheim Ducks. The possibilities for Murray to stick to his type were all there.

Instead of taking the well-worn path, Murray opted to go for what is essentially the biggest boom or bust chance of his career. As mentioned above, a not-exciting D-1 season in the OHL probably holds him back from being a true top-3 selection.

He is, however, a player who we could have seen jump high in his draft-year season if it had existed. Instead, that was wiped out and we only have to look upon what he did in the Swiss second-tier men’s league. Which, all in all, wasn’t bad, but probably presents mid-teens value given the lack of comparison to his peer group.

The risk, and the reward, however, are relative. McTavish is at the very least a third-line pivot in the NHL. Like all Murray’s first-round draft picks, there is an NHL player to be found. That isn’t particularly exciting given we’re talking about a #3 overall draft selection.

But additionally, we’re probably not talking about Nail Yakupov either. Thus, when we’re talking about risk, we’re not talking about a player who won’t ever make it in the NHL. The risk is that he may not live up to his draft billing, or that other players may supersede him in the way that David Pastrnak has superseded Nick Ritchie in the eyes of the fandom.

However, the reward is relative as well. If McTavish does pan out, he potentially has the tools to be a better NHL player than any of the names drafted in this season’s draft. Eklund perhaps lacks the room in his tool kit for any further growth. Yes, he will get better, but how much better is debatable.

Edvinsson is a tall defensive player— a type the Ducks don’t really need— who goes missing on defense at times. The Anaheim Ducks have been burnt drafting from the WHL in the past, and Guenther doesn’t have the versatility that McTavish presents. Nor does he play “Ducks” hockey.

Most pertinently, aside from Zegras, we kind of know how most of the Ducks high draft picks have turned out. Ritchie never really made it and was traded away. Jacob Larsson is the whipping boy for most of the fan base. Max Jones looks to be a 3rd liner. Sam Steel hasn’t really shown anything at the NHL level.

Isac Lundestrom looks to top out as a third-line pivot. Drysdale is a little too early to tell, but he presented one of the worst statistical seasons by any debut defenseman in modern history. These are all NHL players, but their ability to impact a game is debatable for now. They were all “safe” picks. Murray didn’t need to think outside the box to acquire them.

On this timeline, the Anaheim Ducks needed to take some chances on big-time scorers. For the most part, the Ducks have been unwilling to do that. One needs only look back two drafts to see the Ducks let Arthur Kaliyev slide to the Kings, as they took the safe selection of Brayden Tracey.

That seemingly changed last season when they selected Jacob Perreault at the end of the first round. Perreault was one of the best players with the highest chance of becoming a star when he was selected last season, so in that sense, the Ducks didn’t do much to get him. However, his lack of defensive play and nous was what makes him an unlikely draft selection for Bob Murray’s Ducks.

McTavish presents a greater opportunity than Perreault to create value out of nothing. It’s been a weird season for drafting with the Covid pandemic throwing everything into turmoil. The Buffalo Sabres were mentioned a few months ago as being higher on this draft than most, and believing that they could find value in the middle and end of the first round where most other teams may not.

To my mind, I think it’s incredibly exciting that the Anaheim Ducks have walked away from the well-worn path with their two last first-round selections. Jacob Perreault was a fine get and I believe that his success has in some way paved the way for Murray to alter his M.O. away from safe selections. McTavish has a very interesting toolset and if he can “boom” then I think the Ducks will walk away with a win here.

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.

The Toolkit

Now, let’s talk about the skill set McTavish is bringing to the Ducks if everything breaks the right way. Most notably, McTavish can shoot the puck. He already has enough power, and accuracy, on his wrist shot to score at range against men  (in the Swiss leagues).

As he continues to get stronger, it’s very likely that this will further improve. There’s no reason to suggest he won’t be able to overpower netminders in the NHL as he continues to adapt.

Perhaps more important, as a scorer, is that he has the creativity and hands to completely fool netminders with his shot, and the same ability to gift open looks to his teammates. Personally, I think his best work is in close, potting rebounds, and whether that works alongside Max Comtois or in addition to him on the roster will be determined by the coaching staff.

Nonetheless, at present, Max Comtois is probably the only real in the paint threat on the Ducks offensive end, with no disrespect intended towards Zegras. Perreault may be on the way and now the newly drafted Sasha Pastujovis there to give us hope.

However, there’s no doubt that creating a critical mass of quality prospects should be the aim of any franchise. Thus, adding a pure goal scorer like McTavish simply creates further options for the Ducks moving forward.

We should also discuss the versatility of McTavish as an offensive threat. Yes, he’s a shooter at heart, but he can make plays with the best of them. Yes, he can win draws, but that’s no reason not to slide him to the wing in a pinch.

At this stage of the Ducks rebuild, having versatility can only be considered a boon for the franchise. As the rebuild gets closer to completion they can start actively targeting positions of need. However, for now, simply finding guys who can do multiple things well, will allow each player to find a niche they can make their own.

In essence, this is the easy part of the rebuild, and including a player who can score in close and from far is the low-hanging fruit every rebuilding team wants to start with. McTavish provides a unique enough toolkit, that he can be molded into whatever the Anaheim Ducks need him to be. There are some frightening thoughts amongst that if the Ducks try and make him Ryan Getzlaf or Ryan Kesler, and don’t let him be Mason McTavish, but that’s a worry for another day.

Back to McTavish’s scoring acumen, it’s also worth noting that McTavish has a pretty good one-timer that he can certainly still work on. It’s been a growing trend with the Ducks offensive players Murray has drafted in recent history, and McTavish continues that trend.

Fans have been clamoring for years about the lack of one-time threats, and all of a sudden, the Ducks now have Drysdale from the blue line, and will soon have Perreault and McTavish upfront. It’s not yet an embarrassment of riches, but it’s not a bad place to be for a team that has lacked this skill set for the best part of a decade.

Taken together, we can say that his ability to shoot is probably the thing that fans should get most excited about right now. However, McTavish does have other attributes that fans will love: A strong forecheck, and a strong cycle game. He’s a “Duck’s hockey” type of player, and I think we should absolutely appreciate that while we can.

Leadership + Grit

A more nuanced discussion, and one which won’t necessarily reflect on the stat sheet every night, is that McTavish is a competitor. He’s a versatile forward in his own right and he uses that versatility to play a role. While that sounds like a ho-hum two-way player, consider that when Shane Wright went down with an injury in the 2021 Under-18s, McTavish stepped in as a driver of that Canadian team and played in key situations. He scored 11-goals in 7-games as he contributed to Canada’s gold medal.

I mentioned Ryan Kesler above, and that will either make Anaheim Ducks fans swoon or shudder depending on their thoughts on him as a player. Who can forget the evergreen “leader grit” that the Ducks love so much, to the detriment of all else?

What there is no doubt about however is that Kesler was an “effort” player. He was always busy and always looking like he was doing something. For much of his Ducks career, he perhaps wasn’t very good at those things, but in his younger days, he was, without doubt, a weapon.

McTavish, perhaps, has a similar aura about him. He will work hard. He will play a physical game. He will put up points. Does he have it in him to become a Selke winner for the Anaheim Ducks? It’s plausible. Selke voters love face-off wins and they like goal scorers. These are two aspects for which McTavish has a natural feel. Nonetheless, McTavish will do the things that it takes to win hockey games. Whether it’s pretty or ugly, the kid has the ability to get it done.

There is an inherent “violence” about the typical McTavish shift, which fans of old-school Ducks hockey will love. If he can find the middle ground between that aggressive play and doing it well enough to draw calls (a la Corey Perry) there is every chance that he’ll be on the positive side of the penalty minute ledger. If he can pull that off, then developing as a point-producing Selke finalist isn’t out of the realms of imagination. At the very least it’s the framework for a nasty to play against, second-line, center.

The Ducks have had some pretty good second-line pivots in the organization over the years, however, they’ve needed to trade to acquire all of them. Saku Koivu. Ryan Kesler. The list is short but distinguished. There’s something really nice about having that 2C already in the hand before the rebuild has really even kicked off in earnest.

Versatility

I personally love a team that has numerous paths to win. If every line plays the same brand of hockey, then countering the systems they use becomes far easier for opposition coaches. Line matching may be less talked about today than in years past, however, one only has to look at the Ducks team of the past.

On one line you had Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry playing their heavy behind-the-net cycle, and on another, Andy MacDonald and Teemu Selanne playing a high-tempo rush game. Which defensemen do you have on the ice for which forward line? What systems do the blueliners have to remember in order to counter each? The more decisions which are made means the more mistakes will be made in addition.

Suddenly, the McTavish drafting creates a hard to play against line in addition to the high-skill line that will be built around Zegras. Options are created. Consider a line of Max Comtois, Max Jones, and Mason McTavish for now. Both Comtois and Jones draw their share of calls.

They’re both big-bodied players who can bang around the net. Jones has the wheels for puck retrieval and Comtois has a scoring touch. Add another big aggressive body to the mix and all of a sudden that’s a nightmare fuel line to contain. Particularly given that additional body can really shoot the puck.

Perhaps most interesting, is that with his playstyle, McTavish can slot in alongside Zegras on the power play. This unique forward pairing would present the opportunity for the Ducks to experiment with forward placement. Perhaps on one play, Zegras lines up at the center with McTavish on his wing and they run a more standard umbrella play. On the next play perhaps McTavish takes the draw and they attempt to run a 1-3-1 with Zegras making plays from behind the net and Drysdale from the point.

Perhaps more interesting, having two strong centers allows the Anaheim Ducks to run a 2-1-2 with Zegras and Drysdale deep taking one-timers, and the big-bodied McTavish in on the net. While the 2-1-2 typically is played at 5-on-3, it’s very plausible for a heavy team to make this play at 5-on-4. Max Comtois and now McTavish present two of the forwards with big hips to throw their weight around on this type of set-up and Drysdale fires off more than enough one-timers to be a threat from there. They simply need one more big boy on this unit and all of a sudden the Ducks’ heavy and oppressive style of play is making a comeback.