Mason McTavish absent from Ducks camp amid contract dispute
Center Mason McTavish is not at the Anaheim Ducks’ training camp due to a contract dispute. General Manager Pat Verbeek expressed his disappointment at starting preparations for the new season without this key player. McTavish, 22, is a restricted free agent and has failed to reach an agreement with the Ducks, neither for a long-term contract nor for a bridge deal, despite months of negotiations. Although he was skating with his teammates in Orange County earlier in the week, he had already returned to Canada when the Ducks held their first full practices under the direction of new coach Joel Quenneville.McTavish has played the last three full seasons with the Ducks, who selected him third overall in 2021. In 229 games with Anaheim, he has scored 60 goals and 80 assists, after achieving his personal bests of 22 goals and 30 assists last season. The Anaheim Ducks hope McTavish will be their second-line center in the near future. Verbeek traded Trevor Zegras this summer, in part, due to his long-term confidence in McTavish and Leo Carlsson as the team’s top two centers. However, negotiations between the Ducks and McTavish’s representatives have yet to reach an agreement, which puts McTavish’s ability to contribute in the new structure under Quenneville at risk, according to Verbeek.“It’s disappointing that he’s not here, obviously,” Verbeek commented. “We have virtually a whole new coaching staff, and the group is really excited like never before. A new system is being implemented. There are a lot of things to learn, and it takes a lot of practice for each player to assimilate it. So when Mason arrives, he’ll have a lot of catching up to do.”
Pat Verbeek
Verbeek has had several prolonged contractual standoffs with young players since taking over as Ducks’ general manager in February 2022. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale and Zegras did not report to training camp in 2023 as restricted free agents, but eventually signed three-year deals. Verbeek and forward Troy Terry also had a long negotiation before agreeing to a seven-year, $49 million contract in August 2023. Verbeek stated that conversations with McTavish’s team are active and that “a lot of progress has been made over the summer, but we haven’t gotten there yet. Until we get there, he won’t be here… We’re close, I’d say, but we haven’t gotten there yet.” The Ducks haven’t managed to qualify for the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons, a franchise record, but last year they improved 21 points in the standings. Verbeek reiterated his expectation that Anaheim will reach the playoffs this season under Quenneville’s direction. However, this could be difficult without McTavish, whose two-way play and goal-scoring ability seem vital to the Ducks’ chances of success. He was Anaheim’s second-leading scorer last season with 52 points.“I’ve been through this situation, okay?”, Verbeek said. “It’s not easy to join in the middle of the camp, or to miss the whole camp. The camp is a very, very important part of a player’s preparation for the season. And from that point of view, it’s disappointing”.
Pat Verbeek
“We all understand the situation he’s in,” said Ducks captain Radko Gudas. “Obviously, we’d love to have him here. He’s a fundamental part of this group. We love him very much as a person… Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to reach an agreement, but we’re eager to have him here and get him up to speed. He’s very important to us, but we all hope this gets resolved as soon as possible.”
Radko Gudas
