Are Mason McTavish's Talks With Ducks Affected by Marco Rossi's Extension?

With Marco Rossi's signing this past week with the Minnesota Wild, only a couple of notable restricted free agents are left without a contract for the coming season, and it's fair to wonder how Rossi's deal affects the outcome of another young RFA center, Mason McTavish, and his negotiations with the Anaheim Ducks.

Just to set the stage, Eric Stephens wrote in The Athletic this week, revealing the team's view on McTavish for the first time this summer, insisting that the Ducks have every intention of keeping him. Trade suitors need not apply.

I’m going to cut to the chase on McTavish and all the rumblings of him possibly being traded. The Ducks want to re-sign him. They want to keep him. They see him as an important part of their lineup.

But he does admit that GM Pat Verbeek might not want to go eight years, even though he sees the second-line center as a key part of the core of his team going forward.

According to fellow insider Frank Seravalli of Bleacher Report, he doesn't see the Rossi deal—three years, $5 million AAV—affecting what McTavish can earn:

My guess is that Mason McTavish's deal comes in higher than Marco Rossi at 3 x $5M. I just think that... Understanding the leverage that the Wild had and were willing to flex on Rossi... (and) I do think that there's lots of teams that would be interested in Mason McTavish, and I just feel like he's got a bit more leverage here and that's what it always comes down to... (plus) Anahiem really has a lot of cap space.
So, my prediction would be that Mason McTavish on his next AAV comes in higher than the three years, $5M that Rossi signed for.

The Ducks still have $20.5 million in cap space, and don't want to take a step back in losing their second-line center in their first season under new head coach Joel Quenneville. This is a year that they have every intention of making the playoffs.