Prospect Info: With the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, the Ducks select Mason McTavish

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Man, I know some people are writing him off as potential trade bait for Eichel. This kid has me excited. Looks like he has all-around tools, including leadership. I feel our team needs a change in that.

 

[Kalv]

Really good breakdown. Eliteprospects have decent reviews, I remember having seen some videos on Twitter where they were probably the first ones hyping Zegras great skating ability when the rest of the hockey world said he was a meh skater.
So now I always give them some slack

So yeah, McTavish is not a first line talent it seems, but can be an impact player

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Really good breakdown. Eliteprospects have decent reviews, I remember having seen some videos on Twitter where they were probably the first ones hyping Zegras great skating ability when the rest of the hockey world said he was a meh skater.
So now I always give them some slack

So yeah, McTavish is not a first line talent it seems, but can be an impact player

It's still really early to say, but he does strike me as someone with leadership qualities. Maybe captain material? I just don't like the rounds on social media how many are either criticizing the pick as a large reach, or how he is Ritchie 2.0.

I really think besides Jones and Comtois, we don't have a player that can be physical and push the pace against the run of play. It's a cliche, but I think we have grown a bit soft. Hell, even Vatanen played with an edge years ago, and he was tiny!

 

[Kalv]

It's still really early to say, but he does strike me as someone with leadership qualities. Maybe captain material? I just don't like the rounds on social media how many are either criticizing the pick as a large reach, or how he is Ritchie 2.0.

I really think besides Jones and Comtois, we don't have a player that can be physical and push the pace against the run of play. It's a cliche, but I think we have grown a bit soft. Hell, even Vatanen played with an edge years ago, and he was tiny!

True.

I think there are some valid concerns if you compare McTavish to Eklund or even Johnson as far as point production goes, then there were some defensemen out there that could have better careers. So I can see the concerns, and I share them to some degree. But our management went for the need this time (which I have a problem with, yet I kind of understand). But I think McTavish is much more determined and with a higher potential than Ritchie no question really. But the offense will be somewhat limited.

Even Bob after the draft said that he and Zegras will share 2 of the center spots in the top 9, so they know what they have in him. There are more qualities than just point production that our management valued in Mason it seems. I'm pretty sure it's ''being hard to play against''.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

True.

I think there are some valid concerns if you compare McTavish to Eklund or even Johnson as far as point production goes, then there were some defensemen out there that could have better careers. So I can see the concerns, and I share them to some degree. But our management went for the need this time (which I have a problem with, yet I kind of understand). But I think McTavish is much more determined and with a higher potential than Ritchie no question really. But the offense will be somewhat limited.

Even Bob after the draft said that he and Zegras will share 2 of the center spots in the top 9, so they know what they have in him. There are more qualities than just point production that our management valued in Mason it seems. I'm pretty sure it's ''being hard to play against''.

Regardless of how we feel about it I think that Bob plans to have McTavish play in the NHL this year, that he has confidence he earns a spot.
Him and Powers are the most physically ready for the NHL out of the draft class.

The there is the precedent that #3 overall picks go straight to the NHL and Bob probably won't break that trend.

Bob had no problem having Drysdale, Lundestrom and Fowler go straight to the NHL and they weren't even top3 draft picks but they shouldn't have imo and instead spent at least 1 year developing first.

 

[Kalv]

Regardless of how we feel about it I think that Bob plans to have McTavish play in the NHL this year, that he has confidence he earns a spot.
Him and Powers are the most physically ready for the NHL out of the draft class.

The there is the precedent that #3 overall picks go straight to the NHL and Bob probably won't break that trend.

Bob had no problem having Drysdale, Lundestrom and Fowler go straight to the NHL and they weren't even top3 draft picks but they shouldn't have imo and instead spent at least 1 year developing first.

While it is often the case, nobody will do it just because others did it, tho.
We are also quite stocked with centers with Zegras, Henrique, Getzlaf, Steel, Lundestrom, Grant, and now McTavish (who might start on the wing maybe? Idk), so I think and hope that McTavish goes back to the OHL unless he really proves otherwise. But after seeing how we handled Steel, I'm not convinced that it will be the case and we will rather shoot ourselves in the foot by keeping him up

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

While it is often the case, nobody will do it just because others did it, tho.
We are also quite stocked with centers with Zegras, Henrique, Getzlaf, Steel, Lundestrom, Grant, and now McTavish (who might start on the wing maybe? Idk), so I think and hope that McTavish goes back to the OHL unless he really proves otherwise. But after seeing how we handled Steel, I'm not convinced that it will be the case and we will rather shoot ourselves in the foot by keeping him up

Woulda been perfect for him last year, coulda been in the ahl which I think is better for him than chl

 

[Anaheim4ever]

While it is often the case, nobody will do it just because others did it, tho.
We are also quite stocked with centers with Zegras, Henrique, Getzlaf, Steel, Lundestrom, Grant, and now McTavish (who might start on the wing maybe? Idk), so I think and hope that McTavish goes back to the OHL unless he really proves otherwise. But after seeing how we handled Steel, I'm not convinced that it will be the case and we will rather shoot ourselves in the foot by keeping him up

I will be pleasantly surprised if he returns to the OHL after his 9 games. Under GM Murray when a Ducks pick goes straight to the NHL they haven't sent them back to CHL/Europe after their 9 games and this guy is the most physically tough of them all and the hardest shot.

 

[Kalv]

I will be pleasantly surprised if he returns to the OHL after his 9 games. Under GM Murray when a Ducks pick goes straight to the NHL they haven't sent them back to CHL/Europe after their 9 games and this guy is the most physically tough of them all and the hardest shot.

Rakell went back, and I think we didn't had CHL players that earned the place in camp so it's not that bad. I was just mostly making a joke about Steel, who in my opinion was mishandled a bit from our management.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Rakell went back, and I think we didn't had CHL players that earned the place in camp so it's not that bad. I was just mostly making a joke about Steel, who in my opinion was mishandled a bit from our management.

Rakell didn't play in NHL in 2011-12, he entered the league a whole year after being drafted.

Steel has been mismanaged big time. Wouldn't be shock if he requested a trade.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I will be pleasantly surprised if he returns to the OHL after his 9 games. Under GM Murray when a Ducks pick goes straight to the NHL they haven't sent them back to CHL/Europe after their 9 games and this guy is the most physically tough of them all and the hardest shot.

Lundy. Lundy was sent to the AHL and then back to his SHL team. After his SHL season was over, he came back to the AHL to play in the playoffs.

 

[Hinterland]

Really good breakdown. Eliteprospects have decent reviews, I remember having seen some videos on Twitter where they were probably the first ones hyping Zegras great skating ability when the rest of the hockey world said he was a meh skater.
So now I always give them some slack

So yeah, McTavish is not a first line talent it seems, but can be an impact player

To say that he doesn't have high end technical abilities is a joke though. This guy has by far the best hand eye coordination in the entire draft. I'd say he's got the best hands and skillset hands after Eklund and the best shot after Othmann. This may not be the best draft class but still I can't agree with this.

 

[405Entrance]

I seriously hope that brain dead idiot keeps him away for at least a year. I already wasn’t a fan of the pick but if he ruins his development that would be even worse. He probably dgaf since he knows he's gone in a couple of seasons anyways

 

[Paul4587]

I hate the idea of giving young guys the 9 games just to see how they do. They should have to force their way onto the roster and earn their spots, not have them be reserved for them. If he dominates camp and proves he belongs give him the tryout but if he doesn’t stand out above everyone else send him back.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

I hate the idea of giving young guys the 9 games just to see how they do. They should have force their way onto the roster and earn their spots, not have them be reserved for them. If he dominates camp and proves he belongs give him the tryout but if he doesn’t stand out above everyone else send him back.

Not just that but just because they seem like they can play in the NHL and be competent doesn't mean that's best for their long term development. Fowler is a great example of this

 

[Kalv]

To say that he doesn't have high end technical abilities is a joke though. This guy has by far the best hand eye coordination in the entire draft. I'd say he's got the best hands and skillset hands after Eklund and the best shot after Othmann. This may not be the best draft class but still I can't agree with this.

I assume you have not seen Kent Johnson, for starters

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I hate the idea of giving young guys the 9 games just to see how they do. They should have to force their way onto the roster and earn their spots, not have them be reserved for them. If he dominates camp and proves he belongs give him the tryout but if he doesn’t stand out above everyone else send him back.

Usually, a prospect shows enough in camp that earns him a 9-game look. Lundy did that, but that was also due to a massive hit of injuries down the middle. Lundy got 15 NHL games. Comtois got a 10-game look, but that was in his D+1 season. I think McTavish will do well enough to show he's better than half or more than half of our NHL forward roster at camp. And that's why he'll get a 9-game look, which is a sad realization.

 

[AngelDuck]

The Pavelski comparison is the best one IMO. I don’t see the Kesler one - Kesler was a dynamic skater when he came into the league that could beat people with speed alone. The ROR one is okay but don’t think McTavish has that playmaking

Paveslki makes sense to me. Has great hands, great at deflecting pucks. And should play a solid two way game to boot

 

[Masch78]

True.

I think there are some valid concerns if you compare McTavish to Eklund or even Johnson as far as point production goes, then there were some defensemen out there that could have better careers. So I can see the concerns, and I share them to some degree. But our management went for the need this time (which I have a problem with, yet I kind of understand). But I think McTavish is much more determined and with a higher potential than Ritchie no question really. But the offense will be somewhat limited.

Even Bob after the draft said that he and Zegras will share 2 of the center spots in the top 9, so they know what they have in him. There are more qualities than just point production that our management valued in Mason it seems. I'm pretty sure it's ''being hard to play against''.

First of all, why do you think we went for the need this time? They said he fills a need. But overall I strongly believe they worked their list this year as well and how this looked like, we don't know. Obviously McTavish was higher on thier list as some of the Ds you mentioned. Sure everyone could have a better career that McTavish but he can also be the better player than Powers. Only time will tell. So far this pick looks rock solid and I still don't understand where all this concerns come from. No one in this years draft is a for sure player. Powers may end up as Eric Brewer. Who knows?

We will see McTavish's limitations in the next years. I still remember Getzlaf's draft. He had enough questionmarks as well ;-)

 

[Masch78]

I hate the idea of giving young guys the 9 games just to see how they do. They should have to force their way onto the roster and earn their spots, not have them be reserved for them. If he dominates camp and proves he belongs give him the tryout but if he doesn’t stand out above everyone else send him back.

This but if he earns it at 18, that it's also fine imho.

 

[Kalv]

First of all, why do you think we went for the need this time? They said he fills a need. But overall I strongly believe they worked their list this year as well and how this looked like, we don't know. Obviously McTavish was higher on thier list as some of the Ds you mentioned. Sure everyone could have a better career that McTavish but he can also be the better player than Powers. Only time will tell. So far this pick looks rock solid and I still don't understand where all this concerns come from. No one in this years draft is a for sure player. Powers may end up as Eric Brewer. Who knows?

We will see McTavish's limitations in the next years. I still remember Getzlaf's draft. He had enough questionmarks as well ;-)

Just for the record, I'm happy with McTavish.
But to me Eklund and Johnson were clearly the better picks as for the point production and offense. McTavish is more of a ''Ducks'' player so to me it just gives me this vibe of being taken because of the need.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

The Pavelski comparison is the best one IMO. I don’t see the Kesler one - Kesler was a dynamic skater when he came into the league that could beat people with speed alone. The ROR one is okay but don’t think McTavish has that playmaking

Paveslki makes sense to me. Has great hands, great at deflecting pucks. And should play a solid two way game to boot

It really is. Pavelski has never had great skating either but he sure could shoot the puck and put up 37 to 41 goals a year.
I bet Doug Wilson was planning on drafting McTavish if he got past Columbus but then a Swedish Zegras(elite playmaker) dropped to #7 and that fills a bigger need for them in top line playmaker.

 

[Masch78]

Just for the record, I'm happy with McTavish.
But to me Eklund and Johnson were clearly the better picks as for the point production and offense. McTavish is more of a ''Ducks'' player so to me it just gives me this vibe of being taken because of the need.

Eklund I can understand to some point, but how can you rate Johnson higher in terms of point production. Johnson was a PPG on one of the best college teams. McTavish was a PPG on a mens pro league when you include the playoffs. Johnson was not part of Team Canada, so it is hard to judge. McTavish is for sure less flashy but to me that's it a the point.

I'm pretty sure the Ducks did not take him because of the position. They never do. Ducks type imho are two type of prospects, the one who fall (Getzlaf, Fowler, Comtois, Zegras, Steel) and the one who are late riser (Lindholm, McTavish). What the Ducks always valued high is playoffs performance.

 

[Kalv]

Eklund I can understand to some point, but how can you rate Johnson higher in terms of point production. Johnson was a PPG on one of the best college teams. McTavish was a PPG on a mens pro league when you include the playoffs. Johnson was not part of Team Canada, so it is hard to judge. McTavish is for sure less flashy but to me that's it a the point.

I'm pretty sure the Ducks did not take him because of the position. They never do. Ducks type imho are two type of prospects, the one who fall (Getzlaf, Fowler, Comtois, Zegras, Steel) and the one who are late riser (Lindholm, McTavish). What the Ducks always valued high is playoffs performance.

Johnson was spectacular in the BCHL before going to the NCAA and he is also a late riser btw, because albeit a lite birthday, he has some physical maturity to do. NCAA is a very decent place to play, and it's rare players do so pre-draft let alone are PPG there. Besides, his production in that summer showcase (small sample size but still) only further validates that. He is an offensive dynamo.

I agree about the late risers and playoff performers, though. McTavish sort of fits that.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Just for the record, I'm happy with McTavish.
But to me Eklund and Johnson were clearly the better picks as for the point production and offense. McTavish is more of a ''Ducks'' player so to me it just gives me this vibe of being taken because of the need.

Kent Johnson, he's a boom or bust prospect. People are always enamored with flash and Johnson possesses all that flash. He possesses elite skills, but his game at the NCAA level was not so elite. The problem was he was showing off his individual skills more than immersing it within a team system. A lot of his assists were secondary assists, as per the Scouching. You cite his BCHL production, but neglect it didn't translate to the NCAA level.

Anaheim has a prospect who scored 131 points in only 66 WHL games. He hasn't translated that game onto the NHL ice for the past three seasons. That player is Sam Steel.

Johnson is a project. If he develops his game within a team game, then he might be the best player in this draft because he's one of the few with elite individual skills. How do I put this... he's got great individual game IQ, but lacking in team game IQ, which gets him into lots of trouble.

IMO, Eklund and McTavish are on the same tier. Then comes the preference of playmaking wing or physically, goal scoring center. Both lack elite skating and both aren't flashy like Kent Johnson. Both played against men. As others have mentioned, the org likes late risers. Eklund's season started off with a blast and then tailed off, largely because he lost a strong center to play with. McTavish, otoh, started off slow in the NL-B, but skyrocketed his production and continued it into the playoffs. He was doing that as a winger. Then he showed off so much more at the WJC-18 as a center, while being team's heart and soul. What gives McTavish a bigger edge is that he had the biggest jump in improvement in his game out of all of the 2021 draftees, even bigger than Olen Zellweger's jump. There's another 2021 draftee that has a late rise to his game after he was traded mid-season to discover untapped offense in D Hinds.

McTavish's mature body really sets him up higher than Eklund, Johnson, and Beniers.

Player	Height	Inches	Weight (lbs)	lbs/inch
Eklund	5'10	70	172	2.46
Johnson	6'1	73	168	2.30
Beniers	6'1	73	174	2.38
McTavish	6'2	74	207	2.80

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

His body is an asset because if he isn't scoring, then he will use his body to help change the game like he did in the WJC-18. His talents allows him to play in so many different situations. I know McTavish plays all three aspects of the game in ES, PP, and PK. Johnson didn't kill penalties. Beniers plays all three, but mostly more known for his defense. Eklund plays all three, but mostly known for his offense.

McTavish marries the offensive production of Eklund and Johnson, but also adds that physicality and defensive play like a Beniers. I think McTavish is probably the best goal scorer out of the bunch, though. Everything is a gamble, though, but I really like what McTavish brings to the table, which is a lot to help the team win. Murray kept citing he's a great complement to our prospects and that we don't have a player like him in our organization. And the latter is probably why the org chose him over Eklund and Johnson.