The New York Rangers have done a lot of watching and waiting, but that appears to be changing given the latest report of them being involved in trade talks for Mason McTavish. That said, the Rangers aren't the only team in the mix.
Sounds like the Ducks are weighing two offers for Mason McTavish right now, one being the Rangers. https://t.co/WCZhhVWmh4
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) June 26, 2026
Why McTavish would be a great fit for the Rangers
McTavish turned 23 in January, and has 181 points in 304 games with the Ducks. His career high in points during a single season is 52 points in 76 games, and he also has season in which he's tallied 43, 42, and 41 points.
He is a young center that is locked up for the next five years at $7 million per year, and he's already shown enough promise that he's worth take a chance on in a bigger role in New York. Such a move would be similar to the one the Rangers made years ago for Mika Zibanejad, as he was another center drafted early that became available.
At the time he was traded to the Rangers, Zibanejad was a 23 year old with 151 points in 281 games with the Ottawa Senators. He had a career high of 51 points in 81 games, and was traded the same year he accomplished that feat.
The Rangers need talent in their system, especially young talent. Gabe Perreault looked pretty good as a rookie for the Rangers, and adding a young center who could grow along with him would be very beneficial for the team's post Letter 2.0 retool.
Rangers current depth chart would benefit from addition
Zibanejad is the team's current No. 1 center, but the Rangers need to start planning for the future. Having McTavish behind Zibanejad would be ideal for depth and development, and it would give the Rangers some flexibility for how they could deploy J.T. Miller.
Vincent Trocheck is someone who will likely be traded soon, and that could allow Miller to be an elite third line center. Alternatively, Miller could shift back to wing. The third option, one I don't see happening, would see McTavish become the new No. 1 center, Miller the No. 2 center, and Zibanejad shift back to the wing where he was at the start of this past season.
In any case, adding a player like McTavish would be very exciting, and it would change up the mix of the group. There is a lot of speculation right now, and it is a situation worth monitoring in the coming hours leading up to tomorrow's draft.
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