TopShelfWaterBottle
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Prospect Info: With the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, the Ducks select Mason McTavish
- Thread starter Ducks DVM
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KelVarnsen
Registered User
I'm not sure he is even a lock to make the team let alone be a Calder favorite.
GunnarStahl
Let’s go shake their hands
- Oct 13, 2020
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I’d say Rossi has good upside for it, he could likely become the Wilds 1C early this year and he is at +1600
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
Agreed that other players are in a more favorable position than McTavish. Beniers is set to be 1C on the Kraken. Power is going to be a top-4 for the Sabres.
McTavish can score as a 2LW or 2C. In the OHL with Hamilton, McTavish played 2C and had tied the for team's highest scoring rate. As a winger in the NL-B (moved to wing after the first few games), he started scoring like crazy. I think once McTavish gets more acclaimed to NHL play, then he'll take off.
I think Beniers has the inside track. He looked good in his 10 NHL games to end his season last year.
I'd say there is almost no chance he's sent back to junior. He'd learn more just practicing with NHL players at this point than reinforcing bad habits down with the kids.
Yeah, McTavish is kinda the poster child for why it would be good to allow a 19 y.o. player or two from each team to play in the AHL. but i agree, NHL is probably the better place for him at this point
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- Sep 29, 2016
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Chance is exactly 0% if he doesn't get hurt.
He's not. A good example would be Brennan Othmann who may not benefit at all from playing either league next season.
You seem to forget that McTavish almost made the Ducks last year. This decision came right down to the wire and if it wasn't for the injury he suffered in that prospect tournament 99% he'd have made the Ducks. The only reason for playing McTavish in the AHL would be the slightly lighter schedule and lesser intensity for a player who didn't have an extended break from playing for quite a while now.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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How do you figure he almost made the ducks last year? He was pretty obvious not a NHLer last season I don't know how anyone that watched him play in the NHL can think otherwise to be honest. I know you're a big McTavish fan but yeah that's just delusion. I'll assume you didn't watch the games just saw him score a random goal.
- Sep 29, 2016
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I have no clue what you're talking about. Yeah, he clearly wasn't anywhere near 100%. Still, he made an impact and added value. Always was efficient in the slot and he scored with his first shot in his first game when he wasn't even expected or expecting to play. If he stayed, of course it would have been in a limited role that decision didn't come down to the wire for no reason. Like I said...if it wasn't for the injury, he'd have stayed.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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Yeah you're reaching hard and that's totally not true but if you believe it that's all that matters.
He was absolutely overmatched in the NHL last year. To this point, he hasn’t done anything to suggest he’d be better off in the NHL than AHL. Guess we’ll find out soon
Hockey Duckie
Registered User
To be fair, McTavish made the NHL team as an 18-year old despite not being 100%. Then he got injured again during his 9-game stint. With 20/20 hindsight, McTavish would have been better than Steel and Comtois last year at wing. We also went through a lot of AHL forwards last year too.
I thought the Ducks could have used him at wing last year, but, ultimately, the Ducks wanted to develop McTavish into a center. They wanted a long term solution in McTavish than immediate band-aid.
From interim GM Solomon
“While we are happy with Mason’s development to date, we believe it is in his best long-term interests to continue his development playing in the OHL for the remainder of this season and, hopefully for Team Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championships,” Ducks interim general manager Jeff Solomon said. “Among other things, this move should afford Mason the opportunity to gain additional experience playing his natural center position, which we believe will be beneficial to Mason and the Ducks in the long run.”
From head coach Eakins (from same link as GM Solomon)
“We don’t want to waste a year of this kid’s development,” Eakins said Saturday. “We can stick him on the wing. As we get healthier, the reality is that his minutes will go down and he’s not playing his position. We need him to develop into one of our four centermen. I think he understands that.
“But those (conversations) are hard. As a coach — and you have all kinds of conversations with players — that one kills your heart. Because you see the kid sitting there. He’s trying to be strong, and you can see the disappointment and emotion. But the thing I really believe and that we really believe, this is the right call. Not only for him. The best decision for him personally is the best decision for us organizationally.”
It was the correct call to send McTavish to juniors to develop at center. His end progress was on display at the WJC-20. Anaheim can project McTavish to becoming a center in their future moreso now than last year.
Edit: Added link to quotes
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Hockey Duckie
Registered User
The whole NHL vs AHL debate on McTavish is about his play at center. There's the traditional way of going to the AHL first and then transition to the NHL like Zegras did two seasons ago. Zegras started off at wing at the AHL, then wing at the NHL, afterwards center in the AHL, and finally center in the NHL.
As for overmatched, after coming back from his second injury (first injury during rookie tourney), McTavish wasn't as dynamic as he was in the first couple of games. I think people forget he wasn't operating at 100% to start the season and then got another injury.
Right now, we don't have a lot of forwards better than McTavish in our NHL ranks. We still have question marks about Comtois, Jones, and Silf. Carrick is out for another two months or longer. We have two top-6 forward spots open. We kinda are backed into having McTavish onto our roster due to his high talent and our lack of high talent behind him. This is like Drysdale's situation. Sure, Drysdale probably needed to be in the AHL last year, but we have no talent to suppress him into the AHL last year. We still have no talent to do that this year either.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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I'm not going to argue with the McTavish cult. He was not NHL ready if he was he would have stayed. Our roster was full of replaceable players. He was consistently behind the play. His pace was not NHL ready.... Go re-watch the games.
- Sep 29, 2016
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Eakins said himself he could have stayed playing limited minutes. I told you earlier already and Hockey Duckie added the quotes. They wanted him to get more ice time at Center. Still, if it wasn't for his injuries it's likely they'd have kept him. But since he clearly wasn't 100% it made the decision a lot easier I guess.
- Sep 29, 2016
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How was he overmatched? Again, remember he missed all of camp and got injured twice. So of course he wasn't anywhere near 100% healthwise. But like I said he scored on his 1st shot in a game he wasn't expected or expecting to play and if Perfetti had any balls he'd have gotten a friggen Gordie Howe in his 1st nhl game. Also, you can say what you want about his performances but he was efficient, especially in the slot.
Like I said, you could have a point saying AHL would be better than NHL for him because at this point, his conditioning can't possibly be great. All players would find it hard to play a full NHL season with zero offseason training in two years. There just can't be a good enough foundation which is why I expected McTavish to skip that rookie tournament for more time off. He's too good to be "made for" the AHL though. If he was sent there it would be for conditioning. It's a stupid discussion though because he's not eligible. He'll just play limited NHL minutes instead and hopefully be fine as well. Unlike others, I don't see him as a real top6 option for the upcoming season. At least not on a regular basis.
I agree, He was not last year, was close but not there yet. It was wise to send him back to juniors to work on things, and since then dominated there and then in the WJC.
He should make the Ducks this season. I don’t see him having an immediate impact like Zegras but if he gets the PP time and things click then you never know.
The Midnight Burrito
True Fan
LOL. They say one thing and you assume another. Eakins and Solomon are saying he's not good enough to play the minutes he needs to keep developing. That means he wasn't ready. They're not talking about injuries at all. You're assuming that his injury prevented him from being good enough, but that's you talking, not them. They're quite clear.
Always excuses for this kid. Why don't you just lay off him and let him develop without being weird about it? Maybe he'll actually be good this year and you can tell yourself you were right all along.
- Sep 29, 2016
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Eakins says he could have stayed but his minutes would have been reduced down the road.
As for this season maybe he'll be good but it will be while playing mostly limited minutes. You can't play big minutes in the nhl as a rookie with no extended break for offseason training in years.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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After seeing all the rookie games and the practice/scrimmage today; I think some people should temper their expectations might take him time to catch up to the pace of NHL. That being said, he's absolutely a NHL player at this point.
- Sep 29, 2016
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I agree. McTavish may very well outscore all of his competition in 23/24 but I don't see him compete for the Calder next season. Power is my favourite with chances for Thompson, Johnson, Perfetti and Rossi. I know no goalie has won the Calder since Raycroft but I believe Thompson has a real chance, especially now with Lehner out. Would be a deserving winner as well since he's a very cool late bloomer story. With Perfetti and Johnson, much will depend on their role and with Rossi, everything will depend on his health. The Austrian national team really did him dirty by playing him through long covid. That shit was painful to watch. If he's healthy though, he'll be the Wild top center with no real competition.
McTavish is a co-favorite at +400, meaning if you bet $100, you win $400 (plus your original bet). Basically, he's a massive underdog against the field. So if I bet you $100 and he's in the top two, are you paying me $400?
Beyond that, what's the point? He's in the conversation. Zegras - who just made many historic plays and had a very good year - was not voted in the top 2 on over 1/3 of the total ballots (which is insane, but whatever).
McTavish could have been a serviceable player in the NHL last year - certainly better than fringe players like Steel. But, wisely, the ducks concluded his development was better served in juniors. I don't expect that thinking will apply this year, but we'll see.
Responding to others, in my view, Zellweger is not ready to play in the NHL this year. Not comparable to McTavish last year. Zell is not nearly as well developed physically and he plays a position where experience matters much more.
bsu
"I have no idea what I am doing" -Pat VerBleak
- Sep 27, 2017
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I think he will have a similar impact/production that Byfield had last season, and that's perfectly okay. These kids are 18 & 19 years old, some people were predicting him to start at 2C should temper their expectations.
- Sep 29, 2016
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I wouldn't overrate scrimmages or prospect games. Also, his skating will likely always be below average at NHL level and the Ducks knew that when they drafted him. He has other strengths. I agree with you though. I'll have sky high expectations for him in 23/24 much like I have them for Zegras this upcoming season but I don't think McTavish is in the position to play a big role for the Ducks right now. We'll have to wait another year. I just hope the Ducks limit his minutes enough so he doesn't get hurt again. Would be nice to see him get regular PP and PK minutes though. That would be important for his development.
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