Calgary Flames have a new centre-ice trade target in Mason McTavish

The Calgary Flames still have a desperate need to make some improvements down the middle of the ice.

GM Craig Conroy did his best to address those needs, selecting two centremen in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft: Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter.

Both Reschny and Potter are solid prospects, but are years away from making any sort of significant impact in the NHL. And, as everyone knows, prospects are far from a sure thing, even ones taken in the first round.

What would be ideal for the Flames, and what Conroy has even admitted out loud, is that the best-case scenario would be to acquire an NHL-ready centreman with top-six potential who fits into the Flames’ timeline. Finding such a player is no easy feat, but there is one many believe to be available right now.

There have been rumblings as of late that Mason McTavish may be ready to move on from the Anaheim Ducks. The 22-year-old is reportedly unhappy with his role in the organization, prompting speculation that he could be on the move before the 2025-26 season gets underway.

Should McTavish truly be available, he’s a player the Flames should be all over.

The third-overall pick from the 2021 draft has true top-line potential. He’s coming off a career-best 22-goal, 52-point season and has recorded more than 40 points in each of his three NHL campaigns. That’s saying something for a Ducks team that hasn’t had many other weapons throughout his tenure.

McTavish is also a decent size at 6-foot-1, 219 pounds, and has great leadership qualities, which is why he captained the Canadians at the 2022 World Junior Championships.

While there are plenty of things that make McTavish an impressive player, his ability in the face-off dot is certainly one of them. Most young players tend to struggle in the dot early in their NHL careers, but it’s an area the left-shot centre has already seemed to figure out. He went 50.7 per cent in 961 faceoff attempts in 2024-25.

Despite there being talk about a potential offer sheet going McTavish’s way, it seems quite unlikely the Flames, or any team for that matter, would have interest in doing so.

An offer sheet north of $7.3 million would require the acquiring team to part ways with several picks, including their 2026 first-round selection. Teams don’t want to risk that in a draft that features Gavin McKenna, and the Flames are no different in that regard.

If the Flames were to land McTavish, it would be through a trade. Now, it is worth noting that the Flames do have two first-round picks in 2026 — the other being from the Vegas Golden Knights. That pick would certainly need to be involved, though that would only be the beginning.

The Flames would also likely need to part ways with another pick in 2026, perhaps their second-rounder, along with some prospects. Would, perhaps, a first and second, along with Reschny and Aydar Suniev, be too much for the Flames to stomach? It’s a big price to pay, no doubt, but it isn’t every day a young centre with this much potential is available.

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