Okay, so…
Four days ago, RG.com’s Jimmy Murphy suggested that the Detroit Red Wings might be one of three teams interested in acquiring restricted free agent forward Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks, with Murphy noting the long-time connection between Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and his one-time right-hand man, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek…
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.”
But Murphy also suggested that the Red Wings would have to give up Axel Sandin Pellikka in exchange for McTavish. While McTavish is a gritty top-six forward with 20-goal-scoring potential, I’m not inclined to create a hole on the Red Wings’ blueline for the sake of filling a hole in terms of the Wings’ need for a top-six forward.
For me, that’s a non-starter.
Yesterday, NHL Trade Rumor’s Geoff Hannah (with whom I have no beef) wrote an article that I thought would have to be nothing more than something written for early August shock value, but it’s very slow out there, so the rumor got some frog’s legs, and started hopping around…
Rumors suggest Verbeek isn’t looking for picks or prospects; he wants an immediate, impact player in a one-for-one swap. The name being floated? Moritz Seider. Yes, that Moritz Seider. This isn’t just a rumor; it’s a high-stakes staring contest between two savvy GMs, Steve Yzerman and his former Detroit teammate Verbeek. Let’s break down why this is more smoke than fire, but why it’s still significant.
From my perspective, this demand is classic negotiation posturing from Pat Verbeek. The Ducks are in a tough spot. They can’t afford a prolonged holdout with a player of McTavish’s caliber, but they also can’t be seen as losing a trade. By setting the price at a Norris-caliber defenseman like Moritz Seider, Verbeek sends a clear message to the rest of the league: if you want our guy, you’re giving up a foundational piece.
The comparison to the Patrik Laine-for-Piere-Luc Dubois deal is apt; it was a pure hockey trade of two young, high-end players with contract issues. Verbeek is trying to replicate that scenario. He needs a player who can step in and immediately help the Ducks push for the playoffs this season. A package of prospects like Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Marco Kasper, while excellent, doesn’t achieve that immediate goal. Verbeek is essentially telling Yzerman, “Solve my problem by giving me one of your cornerstone players.”
Now 1. the first time I heard about any sort of McTavish-for-Seider rumor was this article, and 2. I laughed out loud when I read this, because it’s equally…Unlikely…To suggest that the Wings would exchange ASP and Kasper for anybody.
The esteemed Mr. Hannah acknowledges the obvious here…
Let’s be crystal clear: Steve Yzerman is not trading Moritz Seider. Full stop. Seider is the bedrock of Detroit’s defense and a future captain. Trading him for any forward, even one as talented as McTavish, would be organizational malpractice. The package of Sandin-Pellikka and Kasper is equally unlikely, as it would gut the Red Wings’ prospect pipeline of its top defenseman and forward.
And this morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff takes Hannah’s suggestions very, very seriously, pointing out that the Red Wings already acquired John Gibson from the Ducks this summer.
Duff quotes Murphy’s source here, while adding context of his own…
McTavish, 22, scored a career-high 22 goals and 52 points last season. His plus-minus improved from -23 to even.
The NHL source believes that Verbeek’s first choice is to keep McTavish on a new contract.
“I think there’s a better chance now that the Ducks will keep him, but teams are still trying to get him and figuring out where it’s going,” the league official said. “It’s still kind of circling around.”
If Verbeek doesn’t see a resolution in contract negotiations with McTavish, he’s going to want a significant return in any deal. The proverbial offer he can’t refuse.
“Unless you’re prepared to get creative and knock Pat off his chair with a monster offer, I don’t see (a trade happening),” the source said. “A top-four right defenseman with number-one potential would be a start.
“I don’t think the Wings are going to let Moritz Seider go. So we’re talking about Axel Sandin Pellikka.”
And Duff’s compatriot, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen, now states that a Czech website is confirming the veracity of Murphy’s McTavish-for-Sandin Pellika scenario:
The Red Wings have been looking for another scorer to play in the top six and McTavish is a 220-pound complete player who scored 22 goals last season. Think Ryan O’Reilly. McTavish could be a nice fit between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. That would allow Marco Kasper to play on the first line with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin.
Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek and Detroit GM Steve Yzerman are close friends. Verbeek worked for Yzerman in both Tampa and Detroit. That doesn’t mean Verbeek will give Yzerman special consideration, but it does mean they have the kind of relationship that helps negotiations move along. The Red Wings have the cap space ($12 million) to sign McTavish if they can negotiate a deal.
AFP Analytics projects McTavish coming in just under $4 million AAV and $6.7 million on a long-term, but we’re hearing McTavish wants more than those numbers. That’s the issue.
Of course the Ducks have more cap space than any other NHL team and they have not been able to sign. Yzerman and Verbook are similar in their approaches. That probably means that Yzerman wouldn’t like McTavish’s ask either.
But the bigger issue is that the Ducks don’t want to give up McTavish. It seems likely they eventually will get him signed. And if they don’t, their asking price will leave some Detroit fans squeamish. The Czechia report says it is Axel Sandin Pellikka. McTavish is worth an exceptional return, but it would be hard to squeeze that trigger.
You can call me “Dr. No” this morning. I would not sell the Red Wings’ best prospect, blowing a hole in the team’s future blueline, for the sake of filling that top-six forward’s need.
I’d rather see the Wings trade a couple of solid young players and a draft pick for McTavish than I would ever believe that Yzerman would sell his prized stallion for a Clydesdale. To me, this kind of one-for-one trade is just “out of bounds.”
I understand that the Red Wings would love to add a gritty top-six guy, but in my opinion, ASP is a bridge too far. And the Seider suggestion is the equivalent of setting the Red Wings’ barn on fire after locking the team’s horses in it for that Clydesdale. That’s a “not in a million years” from me.
Now it’s early August, and I don’t know what’s true or not at this point. I trust that Mr. Murphy is not throwing stuff at a wall to see what sticks, and I can only speculate that Mr. Hannah is not inclined to make the suggestions that he’s making for clicks’ sake…And I would say the same of Mr. Duff and Mr. Allen…
But I firmly believe that the Red Wings would be foolish to move Sandin Pellikka for McTavish, and would be utterly batshit insane to move Seider for anyone at this point. Yes, any and every player can get traded, but my Gord, man, that ain’t happening.
Take these for what you will. I’m telling you what I know and feel to be true, and I’m trying to be as level-headed as possible while sharing my opinion.
I’m not trying to tell you what to think, feel or believe here–it’s your job to read these sources and deem something to be true or false.
I just collate the “stuff” and let you make your own decisions. And you may decide for yourself whether you believe that the Red Wings should move ASP for McTavish, whether the Red Wings should move ASP and Marco Kasper for McTavish, or whether the Wings should move Seider for anyone on the planet.
All I will caution you at this point is by saying that it’s early August, that things are very slow in terms of trade rumors, and that I am taking all of this with several 50-pound bags of rock salt.
