Elliotte Friedman makes his thoughts clear about Mason McTavish's $42M Ducks contract extension

The Anaheim Ducks inked Mason McTavish to a six-year contract worth $42 million on Saturday, securing the forward's long-term future with the franchise. The extension runs through the 2030-31 season and carries a $7 million annual cap hit.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman explained how the deal came together, revealing that it was certain once the Ducks offered $7 million per year.

“The moment the Ducks got to a 7 million AAV on this term, this deal was getting done,” Friedman said on Monday (02:56), via the "32 Thoughts" podcast.

He also expressed confidence in McTavish.

“I have no doubt that he is going to make that contract worth it in NHL terms," Friedman said. "I’m a big Mason McTavish fan. I think he’s a tremendous player.”

Friedman highlighted that Anaheim has a clear number set with this contract. Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund are close to that mark, and young players like Leo Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe could reach it in future negotiations.

"The Ducks now have a 7 million ceiling still, when you add in Troy Terry and Michael Grandland, and I think there are going to be other players here going to take a run at that," Friedman said.

Frieman added that the Ducks have shown they are a tough team to deal with in contract talks. However, once the $7 million mark was reached, both sides were ready to finalize it.

“The Ducks have established themselves as an extremely tough team to negotiate with," Friedman said. "But to me, it says the moment they got to seven, Mason McTavish was going to say, ‘OK, I’m satisfied with this, and let’s get the deal done.’”

McTavish has shown consistent growth since joining the NHL in 2021. He scored 17 goals in his first full season, 19 in his second and 22 last year. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with 52 points, including seven points in nine games in April.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was pleased after signing Mason McTavish

Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek was pleased after signing Mason McTavish. One important reason Verbeek mentioned was the importance of the training camp for the forward.

"Mason and I, we were both eager to get Mason into camp and to get some reps under his belt," Verbeek said on Sunday, via NHL.com. "Not only for the new systems but the conditioning part of it as well."

Verbeek noted that both sides wanted the deal before camp.

"We're excited to reach a long-term agreement that reflects his importance to our future," Verbeek said.

Verbeek expects McTavish to keep developing into a top player. The GM believes McTavish will be central to the Ducks' offense as they try to break their seven-season playoff drought.