Story perspectives

Ducks Trade McTavish, Gain $44.6 M Cap Space, Draft Klepov

6/27/2026

Summary

Ducks Trade McTavish

The Ducks traded Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the No. 15 and No. 29 draft picks.
The Ducks used the No. 15 pick to draft Nikita Klepov, posting 97 points in 67 OHL games.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said the trade creates $44.623 million in cap space to re-sign free agents.
McTavish entered year two of a $42 million contract with a $7 million cap hit after posting 41 points in 75 games.

Summary

McTavish Competes

The Blues have three first-round centers—Tynan Lawrence (No. 11), Maddox Dagenais (No. 16) and Mason McTavish—matching the Avalanche’s five-center depth.
McTavish will compete with Connor McMichael and Dalibor Dvorsky for the middle two center spots, moving one to wing and making Pius Suter a trade asset.
Doug Armstrong said the deal fills immediate second- and third-line center gaps while building a future core.
Coach Jim Montgomery must motivate McTavish, who carries a $7 million AAV contract through 2030-31.

History

Historical Context

On June 26, 2015 the Boston Bruins traded Milan Lucic to the Los Angeles Kings for goaltender Martin Jones, forward Colin Miller and a 2015 first-round pick, creating significant cap relief after GM Peter Chiarelli’s dismissal. The move, followed by Don Sweeney’s 2015-16 roster overhaul, exemplifies how NHL teams repeatedly use high-value contracts to free space and shape future drafts.

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Ducks Trade McTavish

The Ducks traded Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for the No. 15 and No. 29 draft picks.
The Ducks used the No. 15 pick to draft Nikita Klepov, posting 97 points in 67 OHL games.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said the trade creates $44.623 million in cap space to re-sign free agents.
McTavish entered year two of a $42 million contract with a $7 million cap hit after posting 41 points in 75 games.

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