Two teams emerge in the Mason McTavish sweepstakes

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reports the Flyers and Montreal Canadiens are among the teams circling Mason McTavish this summer.

The 23-year-old center posted just 17 goals and 24 assists in 75 games this season and was scratched twice in the playoffs by head coach Joel Quenneville.

The reaction has been predictable. Every outlet is framing this as a bidding war between Eastern Conference teams desperate for center help.

That framing ignores the single biggest advantage Philadelphia holds over every other suitor.

Last June, Danny Briere acquired Trevor Zegras from the Ducks for Ryan Poehling and a pair of mid-round picks.

Zegras had spent two seasons stuck on Anaheim's wing, fighting injuries and trade anxiety.

In Philadelphia, he moved back to center and was on pace for career highs with 25 points in his first 25 games under Rick Tocchet.

That is not a coincidence.

Quenneville's system demands 200-foot, goal-line-to-goal-line centers. McTavish's lack of straight-line speed made him a poor fit for that structure, but his heavy shot and forechecking ability are exactly the tools Tocchet has already proven he can unlock with former Ducks forwards.

Montreal can offer a deep prospect pool but they cant offer a proven track record of rehabilitating Anaheim talent in a system built to maximize it.

Garrioch reports suitors would need a first-round pick and an NHL-ready player. That sounds steep until you remember Anaheim let Zegras go for a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder, and a depth forward.

McTavish carries a $7 million cap hit through 2031 with zero trade protection. His playoff scratches give Briere real leverage to negotiate down from Pat Verbeek's opening ask.

The Flyers are not just another interested team. They are the team that already ran this exact experiment and watched it work.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Toronto has asked for Clayton Keller: John Chayka's real rebuild plan now revealed