NHL Rumor Mill – August 21, 2025
Suggested trade destinations for Ducks center Mason McTavish, and an update on free-agent forward Jack Roslovic in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon recently suggested six trade destinations for Mason McTavish. The 22-year-old center is a restricted free agent and a frequent subject of trade speculation.
Dixon noted that McTavish’s contract negotiations with the Ducks could drag into October before an agreement is reached on a new deal. The same thing happened to Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale in 2023, but both players were later traded.
Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish? (NHL Images)
The Ducks’ depth at center has also stoked the McTavish trade conjecture. It could make them the rare club that would consider moving a promising young center for the right return.
Dixon listed the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, and Philadelphia Flyers as potential landing spots for McTavish.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has a long friendship and work relationship with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman going back to their playing days. Wings defense prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka might interest Verbeek if Yzerman is willing to part with him.
The Hurricanes still have around $10 million in cap space and a willingness to make bold moves. However, they could find it difficult to scrape together a suitable trade package.
McTavish could address the Canucks’ need for a reliable, healthy second-line center. They have pieces they could ship out, but cap space would be an issue.
Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson might be enticing for the Ducks, provided they’re not on his six-team no-trade list, and he is willing to sign an extension.
Dixon wondered if the Canadiens would part with a projected top-four defenseman like David Reinbacher to bring in McTavish to address their second-line center issue. Meanwhile, the rebuilding Flyers have a recent trade history with the Ducks, having acquired Drysdale and Zegras from Anaheim.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The silence from the Ducks and the McTavish camp regarding the status of their contract talks is fueling trade rumors at a time when there’s little real hockey news. Some observers interpret their silence as a sign that those negotiations are contentious, but it could also be that they’re unwilling to negotiate through the media.
Whatever the reason, the McTavish speculation isn’t going away.
As for the teams on Dixon’s list, the Canadiens, Red Wings, and Flyers could have a better chance at acquiring McTavish, but that depends on their willingness to part with one of their top prospects. The Canadiens are reportedly unwilling to move Reinbacher or young center Michael Hage, which would take them out of the running unless Verbeek lowers his asking price.
The Ducks are hoping to become a playoff contender this season. Verbeek may be reluctant to accept a return of draft picks and prospects unless a promising NHL player is included in the deal.
THE ATHLETIC: Thomas Drance reports the Vancouver Canucks might be cooling off on their rumored pursuit of free-agent forward Jack Roslovic.
Drance noted the Canucks were considering their options on what remained in this summer’s unrestricted free-agent market, but they didn’t view those players as the answer to their significant needs at center.
The Canucks believe a healthy Filip Chytil and the late-season emergence of Aatu Raty could give them enough at center to maintain control of the situation in the short term without turning to what’s left in free agency.
Drance claims the Canucks are still in the market for a center, but the trade market is the more likely route to address that need.
Can’t see how the Flyers can be in on any McTavish deal. Whether with the Ducks or anyone else, he and his agent are looking at a big chunk and Philadelphia currently has just $370,238 in cap reserve, with 22 players committed to.
Unless the Ducks are willing to take someone like Konecny or Couturier – in addition to, say, Michkov – the Flyers can forget about McTavish.
With Fedotov in the AHL and Ellis on LTIR, Philadelphia would have just under $8mil in cap space. It wouldn’t be hard to make another minor move in order to sign McTavish.
But what move? And who and what do they offer to Anaheim to interest them in such a deal?
McTavish is proven with still lots of upside. Sandin Pellikka, Hage and Reinbacher are not. All are likely not to even make the opening day roster .
I still maintain a tactic and McTavish will sign prior to the onset of the regular season.
Chytl is talented and good in a short series (if you know what I mean) .
He could be finished on any given shift
McT and Luneau for Hutson, Dach and Newhook and CBJ 2nd.
Montreal would have to utilize Price’s LTIR or make another cap dump to fit in McT’s new salary of 8 x $8.2M
Let’s face it, Dach and Newhook are just salary dumps and will fill holes in the middle 6, the prize is Hutson for McT.
Luneau is very promising offensive LD.
The Canadiens aren’t trading Hutson for McTavish. Period.
Can Chicago get in the conversation with a Reichel Kaiser Lardis package?
For who? McTavish? Probably not.
JohnnyZ You must think that McTavish is McDavid.
McTavish trade rumors really jumped when Anaheim signed Granlund to a $7mx3 contract.
Granlund was considered to be one of 2C options available during the off-season.
I doubt Verbeek was shrewd enough to take Granlund off the table and use the contract to bargain McTavish down.
Would be kind of funny if Anaheim settled with McTavish long term and then traded Granlund for a RD.
Hmm I didn’t check if Granlund has a NMC.
He has a full NTC.
Granlund has a NTC year one and then a M -NTC year two and three. What that means I am not sure.
We read too much into these NTC, it doesn’t mean the guy can’t be traded, just that he has the choice of accepting or not.
So the player has leverage which is what they want.
Hey- where is all the McDavid speculation? The kaprizov departure rumors…We heard about Matthews for a year leading up to his extension. He was going here- he was going there lol. Now crickets. For the record, I don’t think McDavid is leaving ..yet…just the double standard is next level..
Sam, I think you’re right on McDavid … but until an extension happens media speculation will continue to resurface whenever any of the pundits are pressed for column fodder.
Even chatter on the remaining – more notable – UFAs have stalled, except for the bit about Vancouver bowing out of any negotiations to bring him there.
Now down to a few weeks to the opening of training camps, the following are still looking for jobs, with several having been offered a P.T.O. as indicated. But they can still be offered contracts by any team. The list also includes players acquitted of any crime in the sex scandal (marked *), although they have yet to be cleared by the NHL to resume their careers:
C
Luke Kunin 27y/o 6’ 196lbs 75gp (SJ & Clb) 11g 7a 18pts – exp. cap hit $2,750,000;
*Michael McLeod 27 y/o 6’ 2” 190lbs NJ 2023-24 45gp 10g 9a 19pts – exp. cap hit $1,400,000;
Robby Fabbri 29 y/o 5’ 11” 185lbs Anaheim 44gp 8g 8a 16pts exp. cap hit $4,000,000;
Kevin Rooney 32y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs Calgary 70gp 5g 5a 10pts exp. cap hit $1,300,000;
Evgeny Kuznetsov 33 y/o 6’ 1” 200lbs Carolina 2023-24 20gp 2g 4a 6 pts exp. cap hit $7.8 mil
*Dillon Dubé 27y/o 5’ 11” 185lbs Calgary 2023-24 43gp 3g 4a 7pts exp. cap hit $2,300,000;
LW
Nikolai Kovalenko 26 y/o 5’ 10” 180lbs 57gp (Col & SJ) 7g 13a 20pts expired cap hit $896,250;
Max Pacioretty 36y/o 6’ 2” 216lbs Toronto 37gp 5g 8a 13pts expired cap hit $873,770;
Noah Gregor 26y/o 6’ 190lbs 52gp (Ott & SJ) 4g 3a 7pts expired cap hit of $800,000;
Connor Sheary 33y/o 5’ 8” 182lbs Tampa 5gp 0pts – 59gp w. Syracuse AHL 20g 41a 61pts expired cap hit $2,000,000 (has a P.T.O. from NYR);
Milan Lucic 37y/o 6’3” 235lbs last played 2023-24 w. Boston although just 4 games – exp. cap hit $1,000,000 (has a P.T.O. w. St.Louis);
RW
Jack Roslovic 28y/o 6’ 1” 195lbs Carolina 81gp 22g 17a 39pts exp. cap hit $2,800,000;
Brett Leason 26y/o 6’ 5” 220lbs Anaheim 62gp 5g 12a 17pts exp. cap hit $1,050,000;
LD
Matt Grzelcyk 31 y/o 5′ 10″ 180lbs Pittsburgh 82gp 1g 39a 40pts exp. cap hit $2,750,000;
Jack Johnson 38y/o 6’ 2” 225lbs Columbus 41gp 0g 6a 6pts exp. cap hit $775,000 (has a P.T.O. from Minnesota);
Marc-Edouard Vlasic 38y/o 6’ 1” 205lbs San Jose 27gp 1g 2a 3pts – buy-out of his last season $7 mil per cap hit
Brendan Smith 37y/o (in Feb) 6’ 2” 200lbs Dallas 32gp 1g 5a 6pts – exp. cap hit $1,000,000 (has a P.T.O. from Columbus);
RD
Jan Rutta 34y/o 6’ 3” 205lbs San Jose 54gp 3g 6a 9pts exp. cap hit $2,750,000;
*Cal Foote 26 y/o 6’ 3” 225lbs New Jersey 2023-24 4gp 0g 1a 1pt exp. cap hit $800,000;
G
*Carter Hart 27y/o 6’ 2” 200lbs Pha 2023-24 26gp 2.88gaa 0.906 save% exp. cap hit $3,979,000;
Ilya Samsonov 28y/o 6’ 3” 205lbs Vegas 29gp 2.82gaa 0.891 save% exp. cap hit $1,800,000;
Alexander Georgiev 29y/o 6’ 1” 180lbs 49gp (Col & SJ) 3.85gaa 0.875 save% exp. cap hit $3,400,000;
Georgii Romanov 25y/o 6’ 5” 207lbs San Jose 8gp 3.80gaa 0.877 save% exp. cap hit $910,000.
should read “any negotiations to bring Ros;ovic there.”
Always love reading your entries George
Kovalenko signed in the KHL
Forgot about that one … thanks Sam.
@Sam wtf you talking about, Matthews signed his extension long before training camp. The only talk was how much and the term. There was very little talk about Matthews leaving, just like McDavid now because most everybody believes McDavid isn’t going anywhere. He’ll resign with the Oilers when he’s ready
@yogi wtf are you talking about – there was talk from lebrun, CJ Dreger about all the interested parties during the season, He signed August 23.. and there was talk from July 1 all through that date…
After reading that Zibanejad and Sullivan have spoken and agree to keep him at RW, a trade for McTavish with Laf going to Ducks makes sense for both. Add picks or players where necessary.
Just read that Wild and Rossi could be close to a bridge deal.
Yeah, and one of the better sources too Slick62
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/report-minnesota-wild-making-progress-in-talks-with-marco-rossi-after-long-stalemate-1.2348660
Sam you said you had endure the talk for a year, now you’re down to a couple of weeks. There’s always going to be a twit that wants to stir the pot, especially in August. You make it sound like it was an endless debate about where Matthews was going and that never happened. Why is it that when people don’t like what the insiders like LeBrun say they call them idiots and everything else under the sun, but when it suits them then, the insiders are all knowing. They speculate for a living and I enjoy reading their articles, but some things you just have to take with a grain of salt. I’d love to hear McDavid is coming to Toronto, but it just ain’t gonna happen, safe bet 8 x16 and he retires an Oiler
I don’t remember much Matthews hype either. Don’t remember it at all actually? But I’m getting older and forget sh*t, or I just didn’t pay attention to it. Whatever.
For my fellow Edmontonians I hope he does the full 8 years. I have no idea, but just as a guess; I will go with 4 year deal.
Only reason is the thought that he wants to keep some pressure and urgency on the Oilers to win now.
But then again, it’s not like their isn’t pressure on them already to win it. Not sure a little more will make any difference on the decisions they make.
I can see him wanting some options down the road as well, in case it doesn’t work out here.
I believe him when he says winning a cup is what it is all about for him.
Yzerman won’t be moving Pellikka. Maybe if they take Copp or Compher and a good prospect like Walliner.
Yogi- I prefaced by saying I didnt think McDavid was leaving, and yes I did hear crap all year- even though it was repeated over and over he wanted to sign here. Heard Arizona since day 1 Rangers. LA etc. My point was the rehetoric is amplified when its the leafs and zero when its others. Thats all.. That was my experience….if thats alright
I think Mcdavid resigns but I do not think he finishes his career there….
At this point you have to think there will be a wave of PTO signings with all the leftovers still out there.
https://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/rick-w … -1.2348838
Crown will not appeal decision.
Now for the Bettman slow walk to reinstating them.