--- title: "Ducks trade Mason McTavish to the Blues for two first-round picks" description: "The Anaheim Ducks dealt 23-year-old center Mason McTavish, a former third overall pick, to the St. Louis Blues for the 15th and 29th selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, a draft-weekend swap that hands Anaheim more young assets and gives St. Louis an established center." category: "Sports" category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/sports author: "Lucas Silva" published: 2026-06-27T02:16:00.000Z updated: 2026-06-27T02:16:00.000Z canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/ducks-trade-mctavish-blues-draft-picks tags: ["nhl", "anaheim-ducks", "st-louis-blues", "mason-mctavish", "nhl-draft", "ice-hockey"] --- # Ducks trade Mason McTavish to the Blues for two first-round picks The Anaheim Ducks dealt 23-year-old center Mason McTavish, a former third overall pick, to the St. Louis Blues for the 15th and 29th selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, a draft-weekend swap that hands Anaheim more young assets and gives St. Louis an established center. The Anaheim Ducks have traded center Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for two first-round picks — the 15th and 29th selections in the 2026 NHL Draft — [ESPN reported](https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/49192605/ducks-trade-mctavish-blues-nos-15-29-picks-nhl-draft). The deal, struck during the draft, sends a 23-year-old former top-three pick to St. Louis and deepens Anaheim's already substantial store of young talent and draft capital. ## Who McTavish is Anaheim selected McTavish third overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, a high pedigree that brought matching expectations. Over five seasons he became a regular contributor, [posting 181 points (77 goals, 104 assists) in 304 regular-season games](https://www.nhl.com/news/topic/trade-coverage/mason-mctavish-traded-to-st-louis-blues-by-anaheim-ducks), according to NHL.com. His best campaign came in 2024-25, with 20 goals and 52 points; his most recent season brought 17 goals and 41 points. He carries a $7 million annual cap hit on a contract that runs for several more years, per [The Hockey Writers](https://thehockeywriters.com/blues-acquire-mason-mctavish-from-the-ducks/). ## Why Anaheim moved Trading a former third overall pick may look counterintuitive, but the Ducks are operating from a position of depth. The club reached the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2017-18 before being eliminated in the second round, and McTavish's role had narrowed during that run. By converting him into two first-rounders, Anaheim adds to a pipeline already anchored by young players such as Leo Carlsson and goaltender Lukas Dostal, while preserving significant salary-cap flexibility to address other needs. ## Why St. Louis paid the price The Blues approached the draft from a more pressing position, having missed the playoffs and searched for a reliable second-line center to drive play. McTavish, signed long-term and entering his prime years, answers that need with proven NHL production rather than the uncertainty of a prospect. St. Louis had stockpiled draft picks heading into the weekend, giving it the room to spend two first-rounders on an established player without stripping its prospect base. ## A draft-weekend dynamic The trade fits a familiar pattern at the NHL Draft, where teams willing to move veteran talent during the event can command a premium from clubs eager to accelerate their timelines. For Anaheim, the two first-round picks are leverage for the future; for St. Louis, they are the cost of buying time. Whether McTavish becomes the centerpiece of a Blues revival or a costly bet will take seasons to judge — but both clubs left the draft moving with clear purpose, in opposite directions.