Prospect Info: With the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, the Ducks select Mason McTavish

[All Mighty]

It doesn't matter what the 'standard' is, you have to tailor the development plan to the prospect, especially when drafting top-10. Fact of the matter is that there was no reason to yank Ritchie into the NHL as early as they did, especially when examining the state where the team was at the time. And as i poster earlier, the final nail in the coffin for Ritchie was that they repeatedly insisted on playing him in a grinder role.

And I fear they're lined up to do the same thing again with McTavish. Old Bob hasn't learned a damn thing over the years, so he's just going to throw this kid straight into the NHL roster in the hopes that McTavish will miraculously erase some of the problems that we have. Perhaps to try and cover up the fact he hasn't done anything worth mentioning to our NHL roster.

Ritchie's most common linemates his rookie year were Kesler, Silfverberg, Rakell, and Perry. I wouldn't call that a grinding role.

EDIT: I looked and his 2nd year he played a lot with Perry, Vermette (when he wasn't terrible), Kase, and Getzlaf.

 

[rlstine]

My theory is that the reaction to this pick would be a lot more positive if he weren’t so ugly.

 

[All Mighty]

My theory is that the reaction to this pick would be a lot more positive if he weren’t so ugly.

It's not too late to delete this.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Yeah, it sounds like McTavish was the guy that Madden wanted as well as Murray.

I think people will appreciate the pick next season when he dominates the OHL and plays for Canada in the U20s. High-end 2nd line centers are one of the hardest positions to fill in the NHL. He'll match up well against Byfield for the next decade.

I put aside the stats, the differences in leagues, they went to see him play and how he looked to them is what matters to me and they interviewed him a number of times it would seem.
I think McTavish himself was surprised he went as high as #3, the boost to his confidence that will do that he went ahead of Eklund, Guenther and Edvinsson.
He was very calm in his interview, maybe a bit shocked he didn't go to SJ or CBJ ?

 

[Anaheim4ever]

My theory is that the reaction to this pick would be a lot more positive if he weren’t so ugly.

I think he looks cool in a tough way, like he's Wolverine from Xmen.
His physical strength will compliment Terry so perfectly and his Cannon shot will finish on Terry's creative passes.

 

[Masch78]

Could Mason play in the AHL next year, since he played in Switzerland?

 

[Static]

Could Mason play in the AHL next year, since he played in Switzerland?

No. Players who played in Europe are subject to the original rules.

 

[2faded]

After two years of a player falling in our laps, we're back to bitching about who they drafted. Maybe this is a sign the world is getting back to normal?

I watched his highlight video last night and first thought was I wouldn't mind the Ducks taking but dont really care. I watched a 4-5 min video on each top prospect so much not to go on. Meh, we'll see!

 

[Hockey Duckie]

What sells me on the pick is that Madden and Murray went to see him play in Switzerland and that he viewed the 2 to 8 prospects about the same.

Unlike most scouting sites, our scouting staff actually did go over to watch him in person. Also, they had him on their radar two seasons ago, meaning they actually have a grasp on what he did develop in his game. McTavish was that driven to improve his game on his own during the pandemic while not being able to play hockey for a long time. (The OHL never re-opened. Then he was denied travel to Switzerland in Nov due to visa and underage issues and had to wait until February to travel to Switzerland.) This makes it easier for the Ducks to develop McTavish since he's self-motivated to do it on his own already like a Zegras. Actually, McTavish praised his Olten coaches for giving him individualized coaching.

There were two tiers for the top-9 players: Power and 2-8. McTavish was at the top of that next tier or 2nd to the top. I wondered if the org rated him higher than Beniers?

Now that he's a Duck, I wonder if they will want McTavish playing in the NL-A next season if he doesn't make the NHL roster or go back to the OHL? (In a zoom interview, McTavish floated this idea of playing at the NL-A.) Playing at the NL-B really helped his game at the WJC-18 level because McTavish said the level of competition wasn't as fast or bigger like in the NL-B. He might be too good for the OHL because of his exposure at the NL-B men's league.

 

[Hey234]

I found it interesting that BM mentioned Stothers coaching at the U18s. Having someone who coached McTavish recently on a team full of top prospects gives me confidence.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Unlike most scouting sites, our scouting staff actually did go over to watch him in person. Also, they had him on their radar two seasons ago, meaning they actually have a grasp on what he did develop in his game. McTavish was that driven to improve his game on his own during the pandemic while not being able to play hockey for a long time. (The OHL never re-opened. Then he was denied travel to Switzerland in Nov due to visa and underage issues and had to wait until February to travel to Switzerland.) This makes it easier for the Ducks to develop McTavish since he's self-motivated to do it on his own already like a Zegras. Actually, McTavish praised his Olten coaches for giving him individualized coaching.

There were two tiers for the top-9 players: Power and 2-8. McTavish was at the top of that next tier or 2nd to the top. I wondered if the org rated him higher than Beniers?

Now that he's a Duck, I wonder if they will want McTavish playing in the NL-A next season if he doesn't make the NHL roster or go back to the OHL? (In a zoom interview, McTavish floated this idea of playing at the NL-A.) Playing at the NL-B really helped his game at the WJC-18 level because McTavish said the level of competition wasn't as fast or bigger like in the NL-B. He might be too good for the OHL because of his exposure at the NL-B men's league.

Hard to say about NLB because what if the guys he feeds pucks to in NLB might be lesser talented shooters to finish his passes than a deep OHL team but on the defensive side the NLB players will make it much tougher to score on.

While In NLA it will be better line mates and even tougher defenses but it's not gonna be as hard as playing in the NHL.

I'd like to see him play in NLA like how a Swedish prospect would develop in SHL.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Hard to say about NLB because what if the guys he feeds pucks to in NLB might be lesser talented shooters to finish his passes than a deep OHL team but on the defensive side the NLB players will make it much tougher to score on.

While In NLA it will be better line mates and even tougher defenses but it's not gonna be as hard as playing in the NHL.

I'd like to see him play in NLA like how a Swedish prospect would develop in SHL.

The NL-B made the WJC-18 game slower and was less physical. The NL-A is Switzerland's men's top tier league, which is better than the OHL. Remember, the OHL didn't play at all last year. Since Mason started off at the CHL, he has to follow the rules of the CHL which is you can't play in the AHL until you're age 20. We should be looking at the process of his game, not just the production. Ultimately, we want to see both.

I know someone shared a tweet of a guy who rated and ranked all the league and I didn't save that tweet, but the Hockey Writers did a top-10 this July 1st: link

1. NHL
6. NL-A
8. AHL
9. NCAA
10. OHL​

The purpose of bringing up the NL-A is if McTavish isn't going to play at the NHL for this coming season and the Ducks' mgmt feels he might be too good for the OHL. One reason I can see McTavish going back to the OHL is that the NL-A team may not want to play McTavish at center. In the post-draft interview with Ahlers, GM Murray shared that once McTavish started going (his 7th regular season game), then he became one of the team's top scorers as an 18-year old. We know McTavish continued that torrid scoring into the NL-B playoffs. This means he had adapted to the NL-B quickly.

Fellow OHL forward and 16th overall in the 2021 draft, Brennan Othmann, played with McTavish at the NL-B level. I want to use him as a comparison that McTavish is ready for the NL-A and might be too good for the OHL because it was shut down last year. (Note: I've shared this chart before.)

2021
	League	Team	Season	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG
Othmann	NL-B	Olten	Regular	34	7	9	16	0.47
McTavish	NL-B	Olten	Regular	13	9	2	11	0.85
.
Othmann	NL-B	Olten	Post	4	1	1	2	0.50
McTavish	NL-B	Olten	Post	4	2	5	7	1.75
.
Othmann	WJC-18	Canada		7	3	3	6	0.86
McTavish	WJC-18	Canada		7	5	6	11	1.57

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Othmann had a good season in the NL-B as an 18-year old playing against men. But once McTavish acclimated, he just kept going and going. Look at what he did at the WJC-18 against and with top players from around the world. He was tied for 5th in scoring at the WJC-18, behind three non-eligible draftees (Wright, Michkov, and Bedard) and Chibrikov.

By going to the NL-A, McTavish will be playing against even more talented men who did not lose playing a whole season. This route can set up McTavish to transition to the NHL faster. He could go one-and-done like Zegras.

​

 

[Koffein]

The pick is in - excitement
The pick is announced- disappointment

Sounds like the standard Ducks 1st round pick to me. Let's hope this turn out like the Lindholm pick, really hoped for Eklund but I have a lot of trust in Madden and Murray when it comes to making the right pick.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

The NL-B made the WJC-18 game slower and was less physical. The NL-A is Switzerland's men's top tier league, which is better than the OHL. Remember, the OHL didn't play at all last year. Since Mason started off at the CHL, he has to follow the rules of the CHL which is you can't play in the AHL until you're age 20. We should be looking at the process of his game, not just the production. Ultimately, we want to see both.

I know someone shared a tweet of a guy who rated and ranked all the league and I didn't save that tweet, but the Hockey Writers did a top-10 this July 1st: link

1. NHL
6. NL-A
8. AHL
9. NCAA
10. OHL​

The purpose of bringing up the NL-A is if McTavish isn't going to play at the NHL for this coming season and the Ducks' mgmt feels he might be too good for the OHL. One reason I can see McTavish going back to the OHL is that the NL-A team may not want to play McTavish at center. In the post-draft interview with Ahlers, GM Murray shared that once McTavish started going (his 7th regular season game), then he became one of the team's top scorers as an 18-year old. We know McTavish continued that torrid scoring into the NL-B playoffs. This means he had adapted to the NL-B quickly.

Fellow OHL forward and 16th overall in the 2021 draft, Brennan Othmann, played with McTavish at the NL-B level. I want to use him as a comparison that McTavish is ready for the NL-A and might be too good for the OHL because it was shut down last year. (Note: I've shared this chart before.)

2021
	League	Team	Season	Games	G	A	Pts	PPG
Othmann	NL-B	Olten	Regular	34	7	9	16	0.47
McTavish	NL-B	Olten	Regular	13	9	2	11	0.85
.
Othmann	NL-B	Olten	Post	4	1	1	2	0.50
McTavish	NL-B	Olten	Post	4	2	5	7	1.75
.
Othmann	WJC-18	Canada		7	3	3	6	0.86
McTavish	WJC-18	Canada		7	5	6	11	1.57

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Othmann had a good season in the NL-B as an 18-year old playing against men. But once McTavish acclimated, he just kept going and going. Look at what he did at the WJC-18 against and with top players from around the world. He was tied for 5th in scoring at the WJC-18, behind three non-eligible draftees (Wright, Michkov, and Bedard) and Chibrikov.

By going to the NL-A, McTavish will be playing against even more talented men who did not lose playing a whole season. This route can set up McTavish to transition to the NHL faster. He could go one-and-done like Zegras.

​

I forgot to add that I meant that NLA is very superior to OHL but the lower NLB tier while still tough with the age of who he's playing against, his teammates maybe we're lesser and unable to finish on his passes as much.​

So I think he would have had more assists in the NLA with better players playing with him and he's so strong already he probably would have done very well there.
Would be excited if he plays in NLA.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

I'm not sure why this pick is upsetting or a surprise, Bob McKenzie's rankings had him tied for 4th for reason. This guy could be Kesler 2.0 and be a good compliment down the middle to Zegras. It makes plenty of sense to me

 

[Kalv]

What I didn't like in Bobs interview was him saying "complimentary" too much.
I do get his point and agree, but we should had picked BPA there.

That being said, I was on McTavish train as soon as I digged deeper on him weeks ago. A solid, solid prospect. But I think he's not better than Z or D, so that's where some of the dissapointment here comes from

 

[AngelDuck]

It’s terrible. They drafted a slightly better Tyler Bertuzzi 3rd overall. Stop trying to justify it

They went with the gritty identity complimentary player when they could have gotten a core piece

 

[KaseMeOutside]

What I didn't like in Bobs interview was him saying "complimentary" too much.
I do get his point and agree, but we should had picked BPA there.

That being said, I was on McTavish train as soon as I digged deeper on him weeks ago. A solid, solid prospect. But I think he's not better than Z or D, so that's where some of the dissapointment here comes from

Look if he wasn't the best player on their board it's a stupid pick. If he was then so be it nobody knows how hes going to turn out and we have become such a soft team I'm being open minded about adding a tough power center down the middle to compliment Zegras

 

[ADHB]

I don't know where anyone is getting that Murray and Madden watched him in person in Switzerland. Bob clearly stated in his interview with Ahlers that they only watched video on him, because that's all they could do.

 

[Kalv]

Really looking forward to Drysdale, Zegras, Comtois, McTavish and Terry(?) on the PP.

McTavish has some ROR in him as well. Will do anything to win. And it showed in the U-18s.

People comparing him to Ritchie and Comtois should look up and compare the stats at different levels before draft

 

[Brock]

A little more McTavish info for you:

OHL Prospects: My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft - Part 4: 10-1

OHL Prospects: Final Media/Scout Poll for the 2021 NHL Draft

 

[Masch78]

What I didn't like in Bobs interview was him saying "complimentary" too much.
I do get his point and agree, but we should had picked BPA there.

That being said, I was on McTavish train as soon as I digged deeper on him weeks ago. A solid, solid prospect. But I think he's not better than Z or D, so that's where some of the dissapointment here comes from

First of all, what let you think he wasn't the best player available on the Ducks list?

Secondly, GMBM often emphasized he was a bus driver for team Canada and Olten.

Thirdly, no forward this year is better than Z or lets say has that kind of upside.

 

[Kalv]

First of all, what let you think he wasn't the best player available on the Ducks list?

Secondly, GMBM often emphasized he was a bus driver for team Canada and Olten.

Thirdly, no forward this year is better than Z or lets say has that kind of upside.

1. The fact that Bob repeatedly said about McTavish as a ''complimentary'' player. That and the fact they were ready to trade down, which would give no guarantee we would pick McTavish
2. Yes, and that is true. I love it. McTavish has that ability in him, even though that is not ''Getzlaf-like'' it still feels decent.
3. Absolutely. I think Eklund MIGHT come close though.

 

[Petes]

Big Petes fan here… you guys are absolutely going to love Mason McTavish. His rookie season in the OHL he was scoring goals most 16 year olds have no business pulling off… I feel like he needs one year back in the OHL, likely play for Canada at the WJC and then be ready for the NHL.

Big, mean, deadly shot, absolutely loves scoring goals and seems like a great teammate as well.

 

[Kalv]

Good analysis of his tools:

Deep Dive: A look into Mason McTavish's game - FCHockey

Also, hasn't this been posted yet?

He looks like Khabib