Mason McTavish: The Habs don’t see him as an ideal “fit” with Ivan Demidov

Félix Forget
Mason McTavish: The Habs don’t see him as an ideal “fit” with Ivan Demidov
Credit: Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images

Mason McTavish is a name that just won't go away in Montreal. The Ducks' center—who seems quite clearly tradeable—is seen by many as a good fit for Montreal.

He's left-handed, physical, young, signed to a long-term deal… and most importantly, he plays center.

That said, it seems that Pat Verbeek, for better or worse, remains steadfast in his high demands for any potential trade involving McTavish. And Eric Engels, in an article for Sportsnet, explained why the Habs are unlikely to meet those demands.

According to Engels, it would be a mistake to assume that the Canadiens see McTavish as an ideal fit alongside Ivan Demidov on the second line. And by extension, it would be another mistake to assume that Kent Hughes would be willing to part with high-quality assets for the Ducks forward.

What's clear is that, unless the price comes down, we shouldn't necessarily expect to see McTavish end up in Montreal.

We know that McTavish isn't necessarily a great skater, which doesn't really fit what the Habs are looking for. His speed of execution—another quality sought after by the Habs—isn't particularly high either.

And when you look at that, it's easy to see why the club probably prefers to look elsewhere… even though the limited supply of centers on the market means Kent Hughes can't close any doors too quickly.

It's worth noting that in his article, Engels also mentions Kirill Marchenko, whose name is making the rounds in Montreal today. According to him, the Russian forward is a much more realistic option given that he complements Demidov well… and that Valeri Nichushkin's arrival is changing the landscape in Columbus.

But as he points out, there are plenty of teams with their noses in the Marchenko file. The Habs, however, are definitely among them.


In Brief

– Brendan Gallagher thanks Montreal.

– That's right.

– The Penguins want to move up in the draft.

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