Anaheim Ducks need Mason McTavish more than he needs them and this ugly holdout proves it

On September 18, the Anaheim Ducks were officially starting their 2025 training camp without one of their top young talents, 22-year-old center Mason McTavish. He remains unsigned as a limited free agent because of the standstill contract negotiations.

The point where McTavish is increasingly leveraged in the league is emphasized, as several teams supposedly would love to trade him, and the Ducks have plans of extensive rebuilding by relying on him as an anchor forward.

Mason McTavish makes holdout official by skipping Anaheim Ducks training camp

McTavish's holdout officially became public when he did not report to the Ducks' training camp on September 18, 2025, the day on-ice sessions began.Instead, he’s been practicing with the Ottawa 67s from the Ontario Hockey League, his old junior team, to keep up his conditioning while talks are still ongoing.Ducks GM Pat Verbeek talked about the absence in a media session, "It's disappointing that he's not here, obviously."

Verbeek, reflecting on his own time as a player who only lasted a day with the New Jersey Devils in 1991, highlighted the difficulties of skipping camp, sharing with the media, "I mean, I've been through this scenario, OK? It's not easy to join mid-camp, or miss the whole camp. Camp is a very, very important part of a player's preparedness to go into the season."

Ducks captain Radko Gudas also commented on the situation during camp media availability on September 18, saying to reporters, "We all understand what situation he's in. Obviously we would love to have him here. He's a huge part of this group. We love him as a guy. ... He's very important for us, but we're all hoping this is going to get resolved as soon as possible."

Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek refuses to consider trading Mason McTavish

McTavish's refusal to budge shows just how valuable he is in the market, with multiple teams apparently asking about a possible trade, which gives him a lot of power.

The Athletic mentioned that the Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vancouver Canucks are all interested in finding a second-line center.On September 8, a source revealed to Hockeyy Insiderr on X that the negotiations between the Ducks and Canadiens had stopped, with Anaheim's asking price—featuring prospects like David Reinbacher and Kirby Dach—viewed as "way too high" by Montreal GM Kent Hughes.

Additionally, the Vancouver Canucks were brought into the conversation that the Canucks "would love to get" McTavish but found him "too pricey."McTavish's camp tried to get an offer sheet from other teams, but nothing came through because of the steep compensation cost, a 2026 first-round pick and the Ducks' right to match.Despite this interest, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has shown no willingness to trade McTavish, as confirmed by an NHL executive cited by James Murphy of RG.Org in late August.

Anaheim Ducks forward group forced into lineup changes without Mason McTavish

The Anaheim Ducks' reliance on McTavish is clear in Verbeek's strategy for rebuilding the team. They see him as an essential part of their playoff ambitions for 2025-26 with the new head coach, Joel Quenneville, who ranks as the second-winningest coach in NHL history.His absence leaves a gap in the forward group, leading to lineup changes and promoting less experienced players, as highlighted in reports from ESPN.Verbeek pointed out the team's influence on September 18, sharing with a reporter, "We have virtually a whole new coaching staff, and the group is really excited like I've never seen before. There's a new system that's getting implemented. There's a lot of things to learn, and it takes a lot of reps to get it under each player's belt. So when Mason gets here, he's got a lot of catching up to do."

This holdout is reminiscent of earlier Ducks disagreements with RFAs like Zegras and Jamie Drysdale in 2023.

They both signed three-year agreements but were subsequently traded after facing injuries and performance challenges, leading to concerns about the long-term impact if discussions linger.Another thing to consider is that these players are observing Verbeek's approach, and it might have an impact on upcoming negotiations.Both parties are hopeful for a deal to happen soon. In the past, NHL holdouts usually get sorted out before the regular season starts, since neither side gains from extended absences, but time is running out before the Ducks' first game.Also Read: "If it's my last year here, I had 20 years played here, — Evgeni Malkin makes it clear that he’ll retire as a PenguinIf not addressed, McTavish may forfeit essential development time, and the Ducks run the risk of beginning the season without a significant offensive asset, which would further demonstrate their increased dependence on him during this crucial rebuilding period.