Player Discussion Mason McTavish

[JonathnTaylorTavares]

Hes definitely awkward. Theres that weird sign girl on instagram that basically stalks him, theres no way he enjoys her showing up everywhere. (I hope none of you are her.)

 

[Mr Rogers]

Hes definitely awkward. Theres that weird sign girl on instagram that basically stalks him, theres no way he enjoys her showing up everywhere. (I hope none of you are her.)

He seems like an introvert for sure and almost doesn't really know how to handle stuff coming at him from all sorts of directions. Honestly i can't blame him.

He seems very comfortable talking to Hazy and Johnny during and after games about hockey-related stuff. I just don't think he's one to enjoy engaging with stuff beyond the rink really.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Maybe. Maybe that's just part of it. Maybe he had his own personal ephipanies and broke out of a mental slump, if he was ever in one in the first place. All I can say for sure is what I can see. Mac last year was producing but his puck management and skating around the offensive zone was erratic and chaotic. The way I saw it was he was producing more from having high pace in his game and finding good plays among a bunch of sketchy ones.

This year he seemed to lack that pace and was too often just casually throwing the puck around with a bunch of unforced turnovers.

You're right that he was already starting to play better before the third liner comment but it's been an upward trajectory since then rather than a switch flip. He's been even better the past two weeks than the two weeks before then where he's playing, in my view, the most controlled and consistent offense we've ever seen from him. He's snuffed the chaos out of his game and plays with poise and intention that creates dangerous chances.

Regardless of how he got here, this is an optimal outcome for his development.

Last year, we knew the difference when Mac was playing healthy vs playing injured. Verbeek wanted to install a culture that included playing injured. For example, Mac had a boot on one day watching the game and then playing the next day of a back-to-back situation last year. Mac has had two stints of being a ppg player last year (a 20-game stint and a 9-game stint before injur) and only played in 64 games. This year, it's coming at the end of the season. Why is that? Mac got injured early in the season (Nov 9 - Nov 25) and then almost didn't play on Feb 2nd. It's quite possible he's playing healthy. He surpassed his games played already with nine games left to play.

Maybe next year is a season where Mac is playing healthy from start to finish.

 

[Boo Boo]

Further to Mctavishs defense - that drawing was 1) not flattering 2) really really funny and 3) really really really obviously him so as a young guy with an ego there was probably a bit of an internal reckoning with his own self image at that moment lol

 

[TheDarkWingThatDucks]

There was that video that came out last week about the drawings of Ducks players and his reaction to his own was a bit odd. I feel like most guys saw their own picture and laughed it off or reacted lightly to it. McTavish seemed genuinely nonplussed at his picture. Almost upset even. I thought it was weird.

Anyway, maybe nothing, but I could see this being true. Cue discussion about him not signing here long-term...

It was the sick kids @ the Children’s hospital of Orange County who drew those pictures. If he was seriously upset, (which I saw the video and if I was going to pretend to glean anything from his reaction, it would be he has a dry, deadpan sense of humor), then he’s as the French would say … Les Stupido.

 

[TheDarkWingThatDucks]

Yeah, I don’t think there’s anything noteworthy there, he’s just kinda awkward and deadpan the way Perry was.

Regardless, we REALLY need to start winning again just so we can stop psychoanalyzing the roster’s body language (the blanket we includes myself)

Well did you know that, when Zegras smiled and hugged McT after he sniped that Bruins goal, that was smile 2 of 5, the most evil smile. And wha Zegras meant by that was fire Cronin, and trade me, I’m tired of my teammates not finishing my juicy apples.

I’ve invented a new game :

 

[Leonardo87]

What are you guys talking about? I feel this is getting off topic and what source are you referring to ?

 

[Boo Boo]

No shade to him, I think he just doesn't really like Ducks fans.

I remember not too long ago somebody said they saw him get denied at a club in Newport and he made a comment about how nobody cares about Ducks players here.

I think he was under 21 at the time and was trying to get in too right? Trying to play the pro athlete card

 

[JAHV]

Further to Mctavishs defense - that drawing was 1) not flattering 2) really really funny and 3) really really really obviously him so as a young guy with an ego there was probably a bit of an internal reckoning with his own self image at that moment lol

Could very well be. His reaction just came off very awkwardly to me. I was just throwing that out there in light of the previous comment about him possibly not liking Anaheim fans.

Not all guys are comfortable around people or in front of the camera, so it could just be that.

 

[zegrassyknoll]

I think he was under 21 at the time and was trying to get in too right? Trying to play the pro athlete card

Yeah exactly that.

Again no shade at all to him, if I were a pro athlete I wouldn't really think of Anaheim as a cool place to be. There's a reason so many players want to play in New York/Toronto/etc.

But also agreed that maybe he is just a little awkward. Ironically I feel like he and Verbeek would get along well privately, while both being awkward in public.

 

[dracom]

What are you guys talking about? I feel this is getting off topic and what source are you referring to ?

after watching it I think people are overanalyzing his reaction.

 

[Leonardo87]

after watching it I think people are overanalyzing his reaction.

lol it was a really bad picture . But yeah I don’t see anything to this.

Z’s reaction to it was pretty funny “Jesus” lol

That kid ain’t getting a Mac jersey. lol

 

[JonathnTaylorTavares]

Sorry bud, it looks just like you

 

[ADHB]

If that’s what it was, I can’t believe anyone would find fault with anything. McTavish has sort of a sarcastic sense of humor anyway, and even considering that… yeah, there’s just nothing there. You’re looking too hard if you see anything to criticize.

 

[Sean Garrity]

If that’s what it was, I can’t believe anyone would find fault with anything. McTavish has sort of a sarcastic sense of humor anyway, and even considering that… yeah, there’s just nothing there. You’re looking too hard if you see anything to criticize.

Haha I cracked up at his reaction, he just seems to be laughing it and then walking it off lol. The video editing might’ve done him dirty there as well.

 

[Rasp]

I bet his reaction was because Z was giving him shit about the picture

 

[zegrassyknoll]

after watching it I think people are overanalyzing his reaction.

It's funny to read the comment about this and then seeing his reaction because it's not even awkward lol, it's funny.

However my biggest takeaway from this video (and this isn't the first time I've noticed) is that Dostal is handsome AF

 

[Rybread86]

I would have reacted the same way hahaha Zegras' reaction was foreshadowing as to what Macs reaction was going to be

 

[Gliff]

I bet his reaction was because Z was giving him shit about the picture

I'm going to laugh every time I see your avatar now. Thank you.

 

[zegrassyknoll]

I'm going to laugh every time I see your avatar now. Thank you.

Not only is it funny but it's also well done. Feels like a character on some adult animated comedy show

 

[Static]

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Compare McTavish the past 2 seasons vs Beniers and it looks like it was good that Ducks didn't pick #2 in 2021. Beniers had good rookie season with 57 points but since then he's been disappointing and hasn't improved on that rookie year numbers. Also Beniers is given more ice time per game than McTavish by about 2 whole minutes this year.

 

[GunnarStahl]

Compare McTavish the past 2 seasons vs Beniers and it looks like it was good that Ducks didn't pick #2 in 2021. Beniers had good rookie season with 57 points but since then he's been disappointing and hasn't improved on that rookie year numbers. Also Beniers is given more ice time per game than McTavish by about 2 whole minutes this year.

I wouldn't say that. There is a 2 goal and 8 points split between the two and Beniers wasn't drafted purely for points. Also Seattle doesn't have much winger talent for him either, not that McTavish gets incredible Wing support all the time.

If Beniers were taken by one of the other teams he could have guys like Thompson, Peterka, Bratt, Meier, Raymond, or DeBrincat on his wing. Instead he gets currently Kakko and Tolvanen, top producing talent on Seattle is Schwartz and McCann...

 

[HanSolo]

Yeah until the point disparity between the two is like twenty+ or Mac gets way better at defense it's too early to say Seattle made the wrong pick. Beniers is way way better defensively.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

I wouldn't say that. There is a 2 goal and 8 points split between the two and Beniers wasn't drafted purely for points. Also Seattle doesn't have much winger talent for him either, not that McTavish gets incredible Wing support all the time.

If Beniers were taken by one of the other teams he could have guys like Thompson, Peterka, Bratt, Meier, Raymond, or DeBrincat on his wing. Instead he gets currently Kakko and Tolvanen, top producing talent on Seattle is Schwartz and McCann...

Points per 60 minutes the gap is little bit bigger(which you completely ignored) because Beniers plays a whole 2 minutes more per game this year. It's been that way their careers with Beniers being given 1 to 2 more minutes of ice time per game which is like an extra shift or two where he could score some points but hasn't.