NHL Trade Rumors: Massive Price Set By Ducks in Any McTavish Deal

Mason McTavish has massive price tag put on him by Ducks in any trade talks

The Mason McTavish stalemate continues for the Anaheim Ducks. The restricted free agent remains unsigned. Teams are certainly sniffing around to see if they can snag him in a trade (we heard this week about an Atlantic Division team that is seriously interested).

But according to an NHL executive, as told to James Murphy in rg.org, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has placed a big price tag on McTavish in any trade.

A right-shot, top-four and future top-pairing defenseman would be the starting point from what I know.

Not many teams would qualify as having assets such as that, that they could spare.

Let's take a look, for instance, at the three teams that we know have an interest in McTavish:

The Montreal Canadiens? They're obviously not sending Lane Hutson (left-shot) or the newly-acquired Noah Dobson (right-shot) to the Ducks.

The Carolina Hurricanes? K'Andre Miller and Alexander Nikishin can each play the right side if needed (although they are both left shots), but after the Canes just shelled out an eight-year, $60 million deal ($7.5M AAV) to Miller in a sign-and-trade from the NY Rangers, it's doubtful they'd move on from him before he ever steps on the ice in a Hurricanes uni. And big Russian d-man Nikishin shows too much promise to give up without really seeing what he can do over a full season.

Recently, the Detroit Red Wings were added to the McTavish suitors list, but they're certainly not giving up top right-D Moritz Seider, who just started his huge seven-year extension this past season.

It's sounding more and more like an eventual agreement for McTavish to stay in Anaheim, even on a bridge deal, is the likeliest scenario.

“Unless you’re willing to get creative and knock Pat’s socks off with a monster offer, I don’t see him getting traded at this point,” Murphy's source added.