The Anaheim Ducks and center Mason McTavish officially put an end to the contract standoff that sparked much of the team’s narrative during the offseason.
The Ducks inked the 22-year-old forward to a six-year, $42 million contract on Saturday, PuckPedia reported. The deal ends speculation regarding a potential trade involving McTavish.
Reports had surfaced earlier this month that the two sides were at a standstill, but McTavish was not on the block. Then, news broke that McTavish was skating with the Ottawa 67s as Ducks camp got underway.
With a new contract in tow, McTavish can now report to camp. The Ducks will play the LA Kings in a preseason game on Saturday. However, it might be too soon to see the rising star in action. In all likelihood, McTavish could see some action next Monday when the Ducks take on the San Jose Sharks in another preseason tilt.
In the meantime, Anaheim fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the deal removes one of the biggest question marks surrounding the club heading into this season.
McTavish extension with Ducks lacks trade protection
Interestingly, McTavish’s extension with the Ducks lacks any sort of trade protection. Most players request some sort of trade protection nowadays. But in this particular deal, the contract does not include a no-trade or modified no-trade clause.
That situation means the Ducks could theoretically trade McTavish whenever they deem it important. As such, there could be a situation in which the Ducks or McTavish may want a change. That could lead to a potential trade at some point down the line.
It’s worth pointing out that McTavish’s deal is highly team-friendly. Could that be an indication that McTavish could be on the move anyway?
That’s hard to tell. But what is evident is that, if the Ducks and McTavish ever wanted to part ways, the lack of trade protection makes the process much easier.
So, it remains to be seen if the Ducks would ever entertain the option of trading McTavish. Perhaps for the right deal, the Ducks may consider the move.