When the puck drops on the 2024-25 season for the Anaheim Geese, Mason McTavish might be coming into his third full season within the NHL. After a stable rookie season and a second hampered by harm, lulls, and self-discipline points, the time is now for the previous Olympian, World Junior champion, and now-veteran of 153 video games to cement his standing as a prime younger ahead within the league. The Geese have many gamers billed with that potential, and shortly sufficient, one (or some) of them will hopefully make that leap and actually break into star, or celebrity, standing. Might it’s McTavish this season? Fairly probably.
McTavish Began 2023-24 Purple Scorching Earlier than Cooling Off Midseason
Whether or not by design or not, McTavish started final season with Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome as linemates. Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, and Alex Killorn, who made sense as linemates for McTavish, weren’t accessible to start the marketing campaign. That didn’t matter, because the McTavish-Strome-Vatrano mixture was the very best line for the Geese early on. It was the last word shock that every of them completed the season’s first 5 weeks as near-point-per-game gamers, and the Geese went 7-4-1, together with a six-game profitable streak.Â
The McTavish-Vatrano connection persevered whereas the previous was wholesome, however accidents grew to become a priority for the 2021 third-overall choose in December. He missed video games in bunches the remainder of the best way earlier than struggling a remaining vital harm in a win over the Calgary Flames on April 2 that ended his season. In complete, he wearing 64 video games and gathered 42 factors (19 objectives, 23 assists), practically equivalent to the 17-goal, 26-assist marketing campaign a season prior (albeit in 18 fewer video games.) To present a way of how briskly he began, and the way slowly he ended, take into account the truth that half of his factors got here within the staff’s first 20 video games. His rise to stardom appeared nicely forward of schedule and was in early talks because the NHL’s finest sophomore, a category that included Wyatt Johnston, Matty Beniers, and Owen Energy. His remaining 44 video games, nonetheless, had been riddled with accidents and scoreless streaks.
2024-25 Provides a Restart for Core Beset by Accidents and Self-discipline Points
Few Geese had been spared from the harm bug final season. A lot of them had been simultaneous, leading to an absurdly low variety of video games the place Zegras, McTavish, Killorn, Carlsson, Vatrano, and Terry had been all within the lineup collectively. We by no means actually noticed what this prime six ahead group might do, and, let’s be trustworthy, this revamped group was one of many few issues followers needed to see from the 2023-24 Geese. It’s a compelling bunch given the mix of creativity, measurement, velocity, and completion that exists amongst them.Â
Self-discipline was additionally an enormous situation final season, McTavish included. He served 86 penalty minutes, one in every of 5 Geese with greater than 80. That’s remarkably dangerous — you possibly can’t have that many gamers with such vital penalty minutes, not to mention your star gamers, and count on success. The Geese took 399 minor penalties final season, 26 greater than the subsequent staff. It was a large cause they misplaced a lot. Nevertheless, the very best factor a few lengthy summer season and a brand new season is the reset that it provides to this group. It’s a reset McTavish, amongst others, ought to take full benefit of.Â
McTavish Ought to Flourish in a High Function for Geese
McTavish’s torrid begin to final season was no fluke. He has point-per-game potential written throughout him. He has a finisher’s mentality with the dimensions, power, and want to get to the soiled areas to attain. He’s surrounded by an explosive group of offensive weapons that may solely get higher with time, as he’ll. He ought to get prime line minutes, together with prime power-play unit minutes, and ample alternative to show he could be a key weapon for the Geese this season.Â
Associated: Geese’ 2024-25 Breakout Candidates: Mason McTavish
Given the chemistry with Vatrano, it’s cheap to imagine that duo will stay in place, not less than to begin. There might be many choices to finish that line. If McTavish is saved at middle, then Cutter Gauthier couls be deployed on the wing. If McTavish is positioned on the wing, they will attempt Zegras or Carlsson at middle. Possibly the newcomer Robby Fabbri will get a glance. Pairing him with an equally-explosive playmaker will maximize his potential, however whoever it’s, McTavish has the power to make his teammates higher. This all begs the query, how will he fare, and what ought to we count on?
What Lies Forward in 2024-25?
The Geese might be enjoying from behind so much once more this season, which is able to give gamers like McTavish the liberty to make use of their offense and creativity to make performs. They’ll want that from him. With a wholesome roster, and a full season of Olen Zellweger and Gauthier, McTavish and the whole Geese offense ought to look significantly better.
Maybe it’s not cheap to foretell he’ll double his output and eclipse the 80-plus level mark, however he ought to get shut. A 20-goal, 45-assist season is a good expectation and nicely inside attain for the still-developing 21-year-old. The underside line is the Geese want a few of their younger expertise to change into point-per-game gamers if they’re to begin profitable extra video games. McTavish, who’s coming into a contract yr after an up-and-down season, is one of some with that capacity, so search for him to return in hungry and able to paved the way.
