Anaheim Ducks trade Mason McTavish on draft night

The price came in significantly lower than the market expected. Going into draft night, both Friedman and Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic had pointed to the 11th overall pick as the likely centerpiece of St. Louis' offer.

General manager Doug Armstrong kept pick 11 off the table entirely. He gave up two first-rounders but not his most valuable one, and still outbid the New York Rangers in a draft-night bidding war to land a 23-year-old center locked in at $7 million AAV through 2031.

That is the part of this deal nobody is saying clearly enough. This wasn't a conventional trade - it was Armstrong winning a negotiation.

The 2025-26 season looks underwhelming on the surface: 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games.

But McTavish posted a 56.9 percent Corsi For percentage, meaning the Ducks consistently controlled possession whenever he was on the ice.

That underlying production is exactly what Jim Montgomery's Blues need to build around. St. Louis finished 25-29-10 last season and badly needed another center who can drive play in all three zones.

McTavish slots in behind Robert Thomas with Dalibor Dvorsky developing behind both of them. It is a center depth chart that didn't exist two days ago.

Pat Verbeek said all spring he wanted immediate help, not picks. Taking two first-rounders instead suggests the Rangers' player offer wasn't good enough to close the gap.

Anaheim now holds picks 15 and 29 heading into tonight's draft. Friedman suggested Verbeek would look to flip that capital for NHL-ready players before the night ends.

If that happens, McTavish isn't the end of this story. He is the catalyst for Verbeek's real offseason, not the conclusion of it.

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