Ducks trade McTavish to Blues for Nos. 15, 29 picks in NHL draft

Mason McTavish is finally on the move.

The Anaheim Ducks traded the young center to the St. Louis Bluesfor the Nos. 15 and 29 picks in Friday's NHL draft.

The Ducks used the 15th pick to select Saginaw Spirit winger Nikita Klepov. They then sent the 29th pick along with the 117th to theVegas Golden Knightsfor the No. 28 pick, which they used to select left wing Marcus Nordmark.

McTavish's future has been the subject of conversations since Anaheim was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Golden Knights.

McTavish, 23, saw his role with the team reduced during the postseason. It was a jarring development, given how some of the team's young players, such as Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Beckett Sennecke,took on more responsibility in the Ducks' lineup.

After dealing McTavish, PuckPedia projects the Ducks have $44.623 million in salary cap space. That should allow them to re-sign Carlsson, Gauthier and Mintyukov, who are allrestricted free agents, and look to rebuild their defense, with three of their blueliners pending unrestricted free agents.

McTavish provides a refresh to the Blues, who could undergo more changes this offseason. He gives the Blues a potential top-six option down the middle or on the wing.

McTavish had his first 20-goal season in 2024-25, when he had 52 points in 76 games while averaging 16:52 in ice time. This past season, he finished with 17 goals and 41 points in 75 games while receiving 15:19 in ice time.

Although McTavish finished with six points in 10 games during the playoffs, his ice time slipped to 12:25.