Trade proposals from national media types can often be a lot like online shopping. The picture looks great, but when it shows up and you try it on, the fit is all wrong.
But the host of Daily Faceoff’s “The Sheet with Jeff Marek” might be on to something with his “irresponsible” idea involving a swap of restricted free agents between the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks:
- Anaheim gets: Jason Robertson
- Dallas gets: Mason McTavish, Olen Zelwigger, 2026 first-round pick
A lot of times, pundits who likely have no emotional ties to the teams involved will throw out names, toss in a few prospects, maybe a draft pick or two, and voila! A potential deal is born.
Hopefully, there is an explainable rationale behind at least one of the players in the hypothetic transaction.
It makes no sense to go off the rails and suggest that Superstar A in the middle of a team-friendly contract could be acquired for Prospects 1, 2 and 3 in a blockbuster swap. But add the uncertainty of pending free agency – the 28-year-old veteran entering unrestricted status for the first time, the 22-year-old on the verge of a breakout coming off an entry-level contract – and a case can reasonably be made that a team might entertain the idea of a trade.
Vague reports of stalled negotiations only add fuel to the fire, spurring claims of an unbreachable chasm between team and player that will inevitably lead to a parting of the ways. But sometimes, it sure can feel like a contract stalemate couldn’t possibly end any other way.
The situation with Mason McTavish and the Anaheim Ducks has started to give off that vibe.
Bad Vibes Emanate From Stalled Negotiations Between Mason McTavish & Anaheim
The 22-year-old center, who was drafted No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft, is one of a handful of restricted free agents who did not report to training camp with their teams last week. But as NHL insider Elliotte Friedman stated during an appearance on “NHL Tonight,” there is a particularly negative tone emanating from lack of negotiations between the Ducks and McTavish, who traveled back to Ottawa to train with his former junior team.
“It’s always a bad sign when that happens,” Friedman said.
While reports indicate the two sides are close to agreement on the length of a contract, they are “pretty far apart” on the money issue. And with Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, a notoriously tough negotiator, looking at the rising stable of promising young players in Anaheim who will also be seeking new contracts, Friedman suggested that Verbeek is “trying to hold the line a bit” on salaries.
“Pat Verbeek, tough player, tough negotiator. Jeff Solomon, who does the contracts for the Ducks, tough negotiator. Pat Morris, who represents McTavish, tough negotiator,” Friedman said. “There’s a lot of grinders in this negotiation.”
Jason Robertson Will Enter Free Agency In a New Salary Cap Era for the NHL
Robertson’s pending RFA status has not generated a ton of buzz amid the discussion about what could be a crazy deep pool of free agents next summer. But undoubtedly, the Stars front office has given it a lot of thought.
The 26-year-old left winger is entering the final season of a four-year, $31 million contract, and he will be seeking a boost from his current cap hit of $7.75 million. As the NHL enters a new salary cap era, Robertson will be able to command a lot of years and a lot of money, potentially topping $10 per season, and Dallas, having just recently signed Mikko Rantanen to an eight-year, $96 million deal, could be leery about committing to another deal of that magnitude.
Anaheim, meanwhile, has a lot of salary cap space, and the timing seems right to add a player like Robertson to a young cast of talent like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Jackson LaCombe.
Or, as Marek put it, “Let’s just have some fun and be irresponsible here.”
Robertson could create a super duo with Carlsson on the Ducks’ top line, and McTavish can be the Stars’ No. 2 center, allowing Wyatt Johnston to play on the wing.
“It’s a great idea. It’s a great idea,” podcast guest Greg Wyshinski said. “I think it would help both teams now and in the future.”
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