Could the Montreal Canadiens take advantage of a controversial decision recently made by the Anaheim Ducks?
When the Ducks hired Joel Quenneville in May as their next head coach, not everyone was ready to break out the “Welcome Back” banner. To be sure, Quenneville’s return to the league came with a significant amount of baggage.
Quenneville was sidelined from the NHL for nearly four years after an independent investigation concluded he failed to adequately respond to a sexual-assault allegation during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks. That episode left scars widespread enough that his presence behind a bench remains deeply contentious.
Ducks management say they conducted exhaustive reviews — interviewing advocacy groups and even speaking with the player involved — and are “very comfortable” with the hire, citing Quenneville’s remorse and personal growth. Still, for many fans and observers, the wounds are far from healed, and the applause has come with a heavy dose of skepticism.
Of course, the desire to win for a fan base whose team failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for seven consecutive seasons can often be powerful enough to overlook even the most egregious of transgressions, and Quenneville certainly knows how to win. With a career record of 969-572-150 with 77 ties, Quenneville is the second-winningest coach in the history of the National Hockey League behind Scotty Bowman, and he guided the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships.
Rumors Suggest Mason McTavish Not Happy to Play For Joel Quenneville
Quenneville’s expected impact on the on-ice product has most NHL analysts in agreement that his presence will provide an immediate boost for the Ducks, who are a popular pick to be one of the most improved teams in the NHL. The Athletic’s recent ranking of all 32 teams based on projected finish compared to last season has Anaheim at No. 3, with the analysis giving the bulk of the credit to “the new guy behind the bench.”
But rumors suggest that perhaps not everyone in the Ducks locker room is as giddy over the idea of Quenneville calling the shots. According to Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the hiring of Quenneville may help to explain why the team has had difficulty signing its emerging young star, center Mason McTavish, to a contract extension.
Just 22 years old, McTavish has been rated as one of the top restricted free agents this summer, and it’s easy to understand why he’s held in such high regard.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft, McTavish got a taste of the NHL with a nine-game stint the following season, scoring his first goal in his NHL debut that October at the age of 18. He played 80 games during the 2022-23 season, finishing with 17 goals and 26 assists. McTavish scored 19 goals with 23 assists in just 64 games the following season, and then last year, the 6-foot-1, 219-pounder netted 22 goals with 30 assists in 76 games.
“You’re looking at a guy that’s your prototypical stud 2C (second-line center) on a championship-type roster,” Pagnotta said during a recent appearance on TSN Radio in Montreal.
“He certainly fits the mold of today’s game. There’s a lot of skill with this player. He’s got good size, and offensively, the skill set’s there.”
And yet, McTavish remains unsigned, while his name is a frequent flyer in the NHL trade rumor mill. Pagnotta suggested that McTavish’s camp is concerned about the potential negative effect that Quenneville may have on his future as an NHL player.
“There seems to be hesitancy on the player’s side based on just the uncertainty of what his role is, and how that role is going to evolve,” Pagnotta said. “With Quenneville now behind the bench, he likes his veterans. They added some pieces, obviously added (unrestricted free agent Mikael) Granlund as well. They’ve got a good blend, a good mix of veterans and young studs coming up, and McTavish is part of that, but there was some worry in July about what his usage is going to be, and how his development is going to be affected by that, and I think that’s why his name has been out there.”
Mason McTavish ‘Checks a Lot of Boxes’ for Cup-Hopeful Canadiens
From the Canadiens’ standpoint, even the slimmer of a chance that McTavish might be available is worth pursuing. Like many teams, Montreal is still searching for a high-end No. 2 center to plug in behind top-liner Nick Suzuki, and McTavish could definitely be that guy.
“Without question, he checks a lot of boxes for the Canadiens,” Pagnotta said.
Simply signing McTavish to an offer sheet wouldn’t work, Pagnotta cautioned, because “the Ducks have way too much power in that respect financially to match pretty much anything.” Which means a trade, and although Pagnotta stressed that Anaheim would prefer to keep McTavish, general manager Pat Verbeek may not have the patience to sit through the ongoing stalemate in contract negotiations.
“I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that if the right offer presented itself, that Pat Verbeek and his staff would shy away from moving Mason McTavish,” Pagnotta said.
Anaheim has made no indication as to what it would take to acquire McTavish, but Pagnotta said Montreal can certainly make a competitive offer.
“Based on a young asset pool perspective, prospects and so on, yeah, the Canadiens have a ton of that, and if they wanted to package something up, I’m sure there’s enough there, more than enough, that would entice the Ducks to at least take a look,” he said.
It could be a difference-maker for a Montreal team that has high aspirations for 2025-26.
“Yes, in terms of the fit and what the Canadiens are looking for, without question, Mason MacTavish would fit that bill,” Pagnotta said.
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