Should the Nashville Predators make move for rumored Ducks centerman?

The Nashville Predators could consider adding another name to its offseason wishlist with a recent rumor regarding a young and promising centerman out of Anaheim.

Nashville enters the offseason with a ton of questions regarding its new general manager, its offseason activity, and its overall future. It seems as though the Predators are pursuing the safe route which is develop their prospects into full-time NHL players. However, they may consider taking a peek at the rumors stemming from the Anaheim Ducks, more specifically 23-year-old Mason McTavish.

McTavish enters his sixth season of NHL hockey this summer, scoring 77 goals and 181 points in that span. He was drafted by Anaheim third overall in 2021, joining the team that same season on opening night and scoring his first career goal, the youngest to do so in franchise history.

He's been in offseason rumors for the past few seasons and while the team isn't reportedly shopping him this time around, there could still be a select few teams that would pursue him this summer, one of which could be the Predators.

Is McTavish the missing piece for the Predators?

If there is one thing the Nashville Predators should pursue this offseason if they were to make a trade, it's finding an elite young center. While the team has a handful of promising center prospects in the making, the team lacks a true NHL-ready young centerman with elite talent.

The Predators have made it clear in the past that they don't care about the rebuild and that they must win now while they still have Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi in the lineup; acquiring McTavish would be the best of both worlds.

For starters, McTavish has already proven himself as a top six caliber centerman. This season, he scored 17 goals and 41 points for Anaheim, a down year but even then, a strong outing from him. He scored 22 goals and 52 points last season, a career high. He's done all of this while playing under 16 minutes a night, the lower end for a skilled center.

Doing some math using MoneyPuck, we can see that he scores on average 0.972 goals per 60 minutes of ice time. On top of that, we also see that he scores 2.124 points at that same pace. Both categories are marked as above average, a good sign from a younger player. What this means is that he a consistent point scorer, and one of the best in his exact position.

Comparing his stats to a Nashville player, we can see that he puts up stats similar to Luke Evangelista. McTavish is primarily a scorer, and Vange is primarily a playmaker. We saw what an uprising from Vange could do to this team, so just imagine what an uprising from both players would do. Vange's playmaking alongside McTavish's goal scoring would definitely bring numbers.

What would a trade look like?

As mentioned previously, McTavish isn't under fire in the Ducks organization, but an uprising from other star players like Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson may push McTavish out of the top six role his contract suggests. The Ducks signed McTavish to a six-year, $42 million deal, signifying that McTavish would play a crucial role in the team's top six. The competition in the lineup may encourage Anaheim, and McTavish, to pursue a trade elsewhere.

Nashville would most definitely need to trade a first round pick in a trade. This year's 10th overall pick would be a healthy asset in a move for McTavish, giving Anaheim a promising youngster or a valuable trade asset for another move. Tag along a developing, but lineup shrouded prospect and the Ducks may consider listening to the Preds.

A prospect that I've considering a movable asset in the past is Joakim Kemell. While Kemell is a promising prospect for Nashville, competition in the lineup would hurt his development. Anaheim's right side is loaded, with Troy Terry, Sennecke and Cutter Gauthier taking over, but its left side could use some work. Kemell has a strong one-timer, which is a valuable asset to any team.

A trade revolving McTavish and the Nashville Predators at the moment is extremely unlikely. However, hiring new faces in the front office may just change the mindset of the offseason, making a move involving a touted player, like McTavish, all the more likely. We'll just have to wait and see what the new front office does.