NHL rumors: Are Senators the frontrunner to land Ducks’ Mason McTavish?

The Ottawa Senators have had an extremely busy 96 hours, first trading former captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers on Sunday before using some of the draft capital acquired in that deal to bring William Eklund to town on Tuesday.

And they might not be done, according to RG’s James Murphy.

“According to an NHL source, the Ottawa Senators have emerged as a front-runner to acquire Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish,” Murphy reported on Thursday.

The source added: “They were already talking to the Ducks before they traded Brady Tkachuk, and then they got [William] Eklund. Now, that’s picked up again. There’s history between the player and GM Steve Staios, and obviously the player is familiar with the area, having played for the Ottawa Valley Titans way back. I know Staios likes McTavish a lot.”

McTavish would immediately address one of Ottawa’s biggest needs following the departure of Tkachuk.

The 23-year-old is coming off a disappointing season by his standards, recording 17 goals and 41 points — 11 fewer than he managed in 2024-25.

Still, he’s capable of playing both center and wing, and would provide the Senators with additional scoring depth and physicality in their top six alongside Eklund.

His relationship with the Ducks has been rocky, as he didn’t report to training camp last September due to a contract stalemate. He ended up signing a six-year, $42 million contract extension, but questions about his long-term future resurfaced after he was healthy scratched down the stretch and into the postseason.

“Look, I don’t know what went wrong with McTavish in Anaheim, but I do know that Staios and the Senators think they can help him fulfill his potential and become the player so many believed he could be,” the source told Murphy.

The Ducks are believed to be exploring several roster options as they look to take the next step in their rebuild. That has naturally led to speculation surrounding the former No. 3 overall pick.

Ottawa now possesses additional draft capital after the Tkachuk blockbuster, and the acquisition of Eklund may have strengthened the club’s position to pursue another significant move.

Whether the Ducks are ultimately willing to part with McTavish remains unclear, but Murphy’s report suggests the Senators are a team worth watching closely as the offseason continues.

If Ottawa is able to land McTavish, it would represent another major swing by Staios in what is already shaping up to be quite the eventful offseason in Canada’s capital.

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