Detroit's trade talks with Anaheim for RFA Mason McTavish likely stalled due to pending first overall pick says NHL Insider.
The Detroit Red Wings were recently involved in trade talks with the Anaheim Ducks and restricted free agent Mason McTavish.
The 22-year-old appeared to be a perfect fit for what Detroit's looking for in a top line left winger but the cost seemed to be too much for Steve Yzerman and company to bare.
In a recent episode of his '32 Thoughts' podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added to the discussion, revealing that teams like Detroit made compelling offers to Anaheim for McTavish. However, others were hesitant to take the bold step of submitting an offer sheet.
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Friedman explained this is because of next year's consensus first overall pick being Canadian forward Gavin McKenna.
Drawing comparisons to Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane, McKenna’s star power has the hockey world on edge, with teams wary of jeopardizing their shot at landing the first overall pick and selecting the Whitehorse native.
"I really believe the whole thing with Gavin McKenna has terrified teams from doing the offers, like this is a player with a chance to do some great things in the NHL," Friedman stated "I think that really scared teams away, not only with McTavish, but with other players so I'm not surprised that didn't happen."
McTavish is coming off another strong season, setting career highs with 22 goals, 30 assists, and 52 points in 76 games. His rising star status makes him the type of player teams would usually scramble to acquire, but the risk of giving up a potential first overall pick has made some clubs hesitant.
The Red Wings are aiming to compete for a playoff spot this season, but injuries and other unpredictable setbacks could still pull them into the draft lottery for the top draft pick.
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Meanwhile, 17-year-old Gavin McKenna just wrapped up a historic season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, tallying 41 goals and 88 assists for 129 points in just 56 games. With a talent of his caliber on the horizon, teams have been cautious. While Friedman didn’t name Detroit specifically, he noted that those involved in the offer sheet talks were unwilling to part with unprotected picks.
"I think that McTavish representatives looked for an offer sheet, didn't happen" Friedman said "I think teams you can't say protect this pick is top two protected or top 10 protected but can't do that with an offer sheet."
McTavish remains unsigned, with reports suggesting both sides are still struggling to reach common ground as training camp and the preseason quickly approach. Meanwhile, Yzerman may be looking to capitalize on the situation, with indications that he’s still actively working behind the scenes to improve the roster even as recently as this past week.
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