ST. LOUIS — Mason McTavish is ready and eager for a fresh start.
The 23-year-old is getting one with the St. Louis Blues, who acquired the third overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft on the opening night of the 2026 draft from the Anaheim Ducks for a pair of 2026 first-round picks (Nos. 15 and 29).
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McTavish, who was scratched twice by the Ducks in the Stanley Cup playoffs last season in the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights and had six points (one goal, five assists) in 10 postseason games, saw his numbers dip to 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 75 games under Joel Quenneville last season.
It came after signing a six-year, $42 million ($7 million average annual value) contract last off-season, so a trade was furthest from his mind then. But a year later, moving on brings the 6-foot-1, 219-pound center great motivation.
“Especially the last year, I wasn’t happy with the way I performed and I know I have so much more than that,” McTavish said Thursday. “Obviously a lot of motivation throughout the start of the summer and going forward. Obviously a lot of excitement with the trade. Definitely a lot of energy being exerted this summer trying to get as better as possible.
“I think my time in Anaheim, I went there when I was 18 and I enjoyed it. It as awesome. It’s the right time for me to go to a new team and experience something new. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m really excited.”
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Yes, McTavish is anxious to start anew, with new teammates and new coaches, including one he’s quite familiar with.
“It was my first time being traded in the NHL,” McTavish, who joins former Ducks coach Greg Cronin, who was hired to be an assistant under Jim Montgomery, in St. Louis. “I think just a lot of excitement, a little bit of nervousness. But I think the biggest thing is you’re just so excited to go to a new city, meet a bunch of new guys and live in a whole new city. I’m super grateful for the Blues kind of trusting me. I had a great time in Anaheim and it was awesome. I’m just excited to get down to St. Louis now.
“I think (Cronin) demands a lot out of his players and it’s good. He can get on you. Sometimes you may not love it, but he’s probably right. He’ll push you to be the best player you can be. I’m excited to see him again. He’s great. I’m looking forward to that.”
With the addition of McTavish, defenseman Brandon Carlo (6-5, 227) and signing McTavish’s Anaheim teammate, Ross Johnston (6-5, 232), the Blues are emphasizing adding muscle and grit to their lineup.
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“We do want to be an uncomfortable team to play against,” Blues general manager Alexander Steen said. “We want to have a certain identity to our team. What I like about where we’re positioned now is the roster allows us to have an identity but also supplied the coaching staff different options game to game. We could have different looks but with the same identity, but we did want to build a little more of the physicality and size and I guess weight too.”
McTavish’s knack has been his challenges on the defensive side of the puck and skating, and it will be something the coaching staff will hone in working with him on, but an element the Blues lacked overall in was players’ inability to consistently get to the front of the net and play with a purpose there.
“I think that’s one of my elements I can bring,” McTavish said. “I feel like that’s such a key thing come playoff time. You look at where all the goals are scored and it’s always around the net and that sort of thing. Every time you can get to the net, you might as well go there because the puck’s going to end up there. I think that’s one of the things I’ll bring for sure.
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“… I personally bring a lot of competitiveness and hunger to win games. I would say I’m more of a skilled forward, likes to take the puck to the net. I think my hockey sense is the best thing about my game, just kind of knowing where people are and what reads to kind of make, especially in the offensive zone.”
Even at such a young age, McTavish has already played four full seasons and nine games when he first played in the NHL in 2021-22; he has 181 points (77 goals, 101 assists) in 304 games but the growth is still in front of him.
“When you step in at such a young age, it’s interesting, but I feel like every year, no matter how old you are, I think there’s always areas you can get better at,” McTavish said. “I think that you really see it when they’re younger, but there’s always places where players can improve on. There’s that core, a bunch of guys 22-26. I’m looking forward to practicing with those guys and I know how hungry they’ll all be to get better and work on their game.”
And he’s joining a group that’s focused on the early-to-mid-20s range.
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“It’s a great team,” McTavish said of the Blues, who have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. “I can speak on whenever we played them in St. Louis or in Anaheim. They played us really hard, they did really well. They have a lot of young, kind of that core. It’s very skilled, very fast. They play well defensively and they’re up and down the ice and they play really hard. I’m excited to kind of meet them all. I’ve met Jake Neighbours. Obviously I played with him in the World Juniors, but I’ve heard it’s a great group.
“… I’m beyond grateful for my time in Anaheim. It was awesome. I have no complaints about it. It’s a great organization. I’ve heard the same things about St. Louis. I’m super-excited, super lucky to be going to St. Louis. A lot of the guys have reached out. Obviously doing that speaks to how good of a group it is. I’m very, very excited. I feel like I’ve used that word a lot, but I truly am excited to be going into a new opportunity at this time in my life. I’m really looking forward to it.”
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