The NHL offseason lingers as teams wait on key restricted free agents, with Mason McTavish at the center of the swirl. Luke Hughes and Marco Rossi remain unsigned, keeping their clubs wary of optics and cap implications. Anaheim’s patience is tested as McTavish’s role under Pat Verbeek’s system remains in flux, fueling trade chatter despite the Ducks’ stated playoff goals. A cluster of destinations—Detroit, Carolina, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Philadelphia, and even Pittsburgh—are floated as viable fits, each with its own price tag and strategic upside. The conversation centers on McTavish as a potential 2C and whether Anaheim should cash in now or hold for the right return.

Across the league, teams weigh how to navigate center depth behind McTavish, while rivals eye the Ducks’ leverage with a premium. The piece also threads in related unsigned RFAs and notable roster moves, highlighting how one marquee trade could realign conferences and fantasy values alike. Until signings land and training camps open, the market circling McTavish will shape both real-world outcomes and fantasy projections for the coming season.

Pittsburgh’s core stays put for now as rusted trade winds swirl around Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson, who are all cited as candidates this offseason. Frank Seravalli’s take: no, not likely to move soon — but the rumor mill won’t quit. At the same time, Mason McTavish remains the Ducks’ highly valued Restricted Free Agent, with teams lining up as potential destinations. Detroit, Carolina, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Philadelphia surface as plausible suitors, each armed with distinct assets and cap considerations. Packages surface involving a 2023 first-rounder (17th overall) and a key young defender like Axel Sandin Pellikka, plus salary ballast. Carolina’s cap space (~$10M) and willingness to assemble a multi-piece offer contrast with Vancouver’s need to shed salary, while Calgary’s age fit and Montreal’s 2C need add layers to the conversation. Philadelphia’s history of deal-making in these circles makes them a recurring wildcard. The rumor rounds around these names point to a league-wide scramble for middle- to high-end centers, with McTavish representing the clearest movable asset for a true rebuild window.

Fantasy managers should monitor not just McTavish’s destinations, but the ripple effects around Pittsburgh’s veteran core. If the Ducks listen on McTavish, the teams that land him could push Penguins’ cap plans into sharper relief, testing the depth of PIT’s forward corps and the long-term impact of Karlsson’s defense-first tempo. The chatter also underscores how cap flexibility and draft capital can tilt negotiations, making the next 2-3 weeks critical for rosters and dynasty values around the NHL.

Dustin Wolf’s contract extension talks with Calgary are ongoing; both sides indicate progress and a mutual desire to stay together, with a deal likely soon after consensus is reached. The Flames’ stance is to keep Wolf in the fold as a key part of their present and future goaltending plan.

Beyond Wolf, the piece maps a group of notable RFAs with clean paths to next-level deals: Marco Rossi, Luke Hughes, Mason McTavish, and Connor Zary are highlighted as top targets, with comps drawn from Cole Perfetti and Brock Faber to illustrate bridge vs. long-term payoff. The discussion also flags Alexander Holtz, Wyatt Kaiser, and Luke Evangelista as players whose upcoming contracts could reshape their teams’ cost structures and timelines, with teams like Minnesota, New Jersey, Anaheim, and Vegas weighing cap space and fit.

With the rumor mill noting Holtz turning down a qualifying offer and Trotz/Conroy weighing longer terms vs. shorter bridges, the league’s contract landscape suggests a decisive stretch ahead for both players and teams—a dynamic that fantasy managers should monitor as these deals crystallize and impact ice time, roles, and upside.

Mason McTavish is viewed as Anaheim’s future cornerstone, with six-year, $6.7 million projection circulating in the chatter. The Ducks’ cap space gives them room to lock in a core piece without strangling future moves, and McTavish’s steady production plus a Ryan O’Reilly-like game have evaluators optimistic about his long-term ceiling.

Connor Zary’s knee concerns cast a shadow over Calgary’s forward group, forcing Calgary to weigh risk versus reward as they shape Zary’s next contract. Brady Tkachuk’s clear commitment to Ottawa sets a tone for how bumpy negotiations with RFAs can impact franchise trajectories. Between Verbeek’s reputation for tough negotiations and these injuries and contracts, the league is watching closely how development, cap management, and extended rookie timelines influence fantasy value.

Ryan O’Reilly’s comparison as a benchmark for McTavish’s potential suggests a high ceiling if Anaheim lines him with the right pieces, while Zary’s health trajectory will heavily influence Calgary’s lineup construction and the Flames’ approach to development. The dialogue around these RFAs isn’t just about today’s skater totals; it’s about how teams balance long-term cores with cap reality, shaping value for fantasy managers this season and beyond.

Rumors surfaced that the White House considered banning Russian players from the NHL in 2024, a claim the White House and league officials publicly denied. The same chatter frames a separate, much more concrete hockey note: Mason McTavish of Anaheim is drawing monster interest as an offer-sheet candidate, with teams like Montreal and Carolina observing and Detroit reportedly pushing hardest to land him. Ducks cap space (over $20 million) makes a high-stakes move plausible, though any package would have to be massive to pry McTavish loose.

Among the targets tied to a McTavish-era swing, Detroit is discussed as a primary suitor, with Moritz Seider and Axel Sandin-Pellikka flagged as centerpiece pieces that could catalyze a deal. The Canadiens and Hurricanes are watching closely as well. If Detroit goes all-in, the fallout would reshape the Wings’ middle-core and shift McTavish’s fantasy value depending on where he lands and who supports him on the lineup. The Ducks, meanwhile, would have to recalibrate their rebuilding plan around cap math and asset returns.

In fantasy terms, McTavish’s stock would hinge on the destination’s supporting cast and ice time. Seider and Sandin-Pellikka’s involvement signals a dramatic shift in the risk/reward calculus for a potential McTavish deal, while Montreal and Carolina watching quietly underscores the broader market for a young, high-ceiling center with term remaining on his ELC/rookie control window.