RG.com’s Jimmy Murphy speculates that the Detroit Red Wings could acquire one restricted free agent forward Mason McTavish…In exchange for Axel Sandin Pellikka:
The dog days of the 2025 NHL offseason are officially in session, but as the calendar turned to August, speculation surrounding Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish remained.
“I think there’s a better chance now that the Ducks keep him, but teams are still trying to get him from the Ducks and wondering where this is going, and it’s still in a circling pattern,” an NHL Executive source told RG on Tuesday night.
“I’ve heard the Canadiens and Hurricanes have been keeping tabs, but one team I keep hearing that has continued to show strong interest is the Detroit Red Wings. Obviously there’s a history there with Pat [Verbeek] and Steve [Yzerman], and I really think Steve sees McTavish as a player that would clearly change the whole dynamic of his team up the middle there.”
As you know by now, Pat Verbeek was Yzerman’s right-hand man for the latter part of his tenure in Tampa Bay and the initial part of his time with Detroit, but the Ducks have a ton of cap space, so Murphy doesn’t believe that McTavish would be an offer sheet target. That leaves the trade route, should the Ducks be interested in moving the dynamic young forward…
McTavish remains a trade target, but according to one NHL Executive source who has been involved in some trade talks on McTavish, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek continues to make it clear that their main priority is still to sign McTavish.
“Unless you’re willing to get creative and knock Pat’s socks off with a monster offer, I don’t see him getting traded at this point,” the source told RG recently. “A right-shot, top-four and future top-pairing defenseman would be the starting point from what I know. I don’t see the Wings moving Moritz Seider, so you’re likely talking Axel Sandin-Pellikka.”
Sandin-Pellikka, 20, was drafted 17th overall at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and is entering the first season of his three-year, $2.75 ($918K AAV) entry-level contract. After signing last spring, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound defenseman had one assist in two games for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Continued; I know that adding a 6’1,” 218-pound forward is tempting, but not for Sandin Pellikka, at least in my book. As far as I’m concerned, the Red Wings need another offensive defenseman on the right side of their blueline more than they need a power forward (though they need a power forward pretty badly).
I’d rather see the Wings pursue another player, or offer other player(s) and/or picks in exchange for McTavish, signed to a long-term contract.
Larkin for McTavish