4 Teams Linked To Ducks' McTavish

Mason McTavish wasn't very happy about his role on the Anaheim Ducks last season and there may be a path where he gets traded this summer.

Elliotte Friedman said that he'd be shocked if McTavish gets a long-term deal done at a big number while David Pagnotta mentioned that McTavish isn't pleased as his role may continue to diminish. This is due to Mikael Granlund being signed for three years and Roger McQueen likely to play a top-6 role at center in the future as well. Pagnotta has linked four teams to McTavish because of these frustrations.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres could still use upgrades in order to make it back to the postseason. Ryan McLeod is a questionable second line center even though he put up 20 goals and 53 points in his first season with the team. This doesn't mean he or McTavish couldn't shift over to the wing or be a good complement to each other if Josh Norris misses time next year and in the future. Not many options should be off the table in Buffalo.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are still looking for their second line center in place of Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook. McTavish could be the perfect fit, but the team is low on assets after acquiring both Noah Dobson and Zach Bolduc. Dach could certainly be a piece going back, but there would have to be much more. Montreal still has their first and two second-round picks next draft.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are also looking for their future down the middle as the top-6 center position could look quite different very shortly. Mikael Backlund is 36 years old and has one year left on his deal while Nazem Kadri is 33 years old and has been in trade rumors. I think Backlund will soon be gone from the Flames and as the team is younger, McTavish would be a solid top-6 option for them.

Philadelphia Flyers

Despite the Philadelphia Flyers acquiring Trevor Zegras from the Ducks already and also signing Christian Dvorak, the center position needs work. It is fine enough for a non-playoff team, but Sean Couturier and Noah Cates aren't elite either. McTavish has the most upside of any of those players and is also the right age to grow into a high-end player with the other youth on the team.

I don't think the Ducks should be so quick to move McTavish and would be much better off keeping him in the top-6 with more than 17 minutes of ice time per game throughout next season. He's just 22 years old and had 22 goals and 53 points in 76 games last season. There is lots of room to grow before he even hits his prime.