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The Montreal Canadiens are getting an idea of what it will take to acquire one of their top targets. There is no secret that general manager Kent Hughes wants to land a quality center this summer. While there are several options in the market, Anaheim Ducks star Mason McTavish is seemingly at the top of the list.

ESPN recently predicted that the Canadiens would soon land the young center in a major trade. RG Media’s Marco D’Amico, however, is now claiming that Montreal may not be willing to meet Anaheim’s steep asking price. According to the reporter, multiple teams are interested in acquiring McTavish. This lengthy list includes the Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canadiens are in the mix as well, but D’Amico believes that Hughes is not willing to overpay for the Ducks star. It seems as if Montreal will only land McTavish if Anaheim lowers its asking price for McTavish (or Hughes eventually bends). The reporter claims that the Ducks want an NHL-ready player or two in return, not just draft picks.

Montreal was previously interested in the former third overall draft pick before he signed an extension with Anaheim last summer. Despite having reservations about playing for new head coach Joel Quenneville, McTavish agreed to a six-year, $42 million deal to remain in Southern California. Nevertheless, he is already looking for a way out of town after a subpar 2025-26 season.

Montreal Canadiens Can Offer Young Center in Mason McTavish Deal

GettyThe Montreal Canadiens have been eyeing Mason McTavish for at least a year.

According to D’Amico, the Ducks will likely eye a right-handed defenseman and/or a right-shot center in a deal involving McTavish. Anaheim’s top three current centers, Leo Carlsson, Mikael Granlund, and Ryan Poehling, are all left-handed. As far as the Ducks’ defense is concerned, they are losing righties John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, and Radko Gudas in free agency.

The Montreal Canadiens would likely prefer to use draft picks and prospects to land their top trade targets. After all, they do have several highly rated youngsters to potentially move this summer. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked Montreal’s prospect pool as the ninth-best in the NHL.

Nevertheless, the Canadiens do have some NHL-ready pieces that Anaheim could be interested in. Young center Oliver Kapanen is right-handed and could be offloaded to make room for a player like McTavish. Kapanen showed signs of growth during the regular season, but failed to record a point during the recent postseason. Versatile forward and fellow righty, Kirby Dach, may also be dangled by Hughes this summer.

Montreal May Have to Up the Ante to Strike a Deal

It remains to be seen if the Montreal Canadiens are willing to part ways with Kapanen, and if Anaheim is interested in the former second-round pick. Other teams may also have better pieces to offer the Ducks in a deal for McTavish. Hughes could very well have to bend a bit if he truly wants to land the budding star.

Assuming Montreal eventually misses out on McTavish, they will have to pivot to other targets. Boston Bruins star Pavel Zacha has also been linked with a move and would be a quality addition to practically any NHL team. The Canadiens have to determine whether or not McTavish will bounce back outside of Anaheim after a disappointing campaign.