The St. Louis Blues made a draft night trade in the first round, sending over the 15th and 29th pick to Anaheim for center Mason McTavish. It was a slam dunk of a trade, but it comes with a bit of a risk involved considering the 23 year olds price tag.
General Manager Doug Armstrong is pulling out all the stops in his last draft in charge, and getting this trade done was a serious confidence boost for the future timeline of this organization. He spoke on the deal, and what McTavish brings with him to his new home.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic got the scoop, and what Armstrong said should put the Blues fanbase at ease a bit.
Army on what McTavish adds: "Pedigree for sure. He's a top-three overall pick recently, captain of Team Canada in the past. Playoff performer in the OHL. This year was a down year for him and he understands that. We talked to him -- obviously we do our research on this -- I know…
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) June 27, 2026
Don't call it a comeback
McTavish had a down year in 2025-26, despite the Ducks being a playoff team. He appeared in 75 games last season, with 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points. It was an 11-point dropoff from the season prior.
Armstrong is aware that he is handing over this "project" player to Alexander Steen when he takes the big chair on July 1. He knows that it is a little bit of a gamble, but there is a sense that he can find a new start in his new place of business.
McTavish entertains a competitive center group, and the battle for the second through fourth line spots is going to be intense. With a $7 million AAV pricetag on his head, best believe that the new guy will have the hardest time trying to make that second-line spot. Head coach Jim Montgomery is going to make sure that they aren't going to give him a handout, just because he is worth more than Dalibor Dvorsky, Pius Suter and Jack Finley, combined.
The fanbase should be excited for the battle down the middle next season. They should also be excited that a 23-year-old just got added to their new, young, and blossoming core, which is going to be the next era of Blues hockey.
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