Mason McTavish wins the race for the second-line center job right now. The St. Louis Blues have a clear favorite in the battle, and it is not the newcomer from Washington. While Connor McMichael brings speed and a new contract, McTavish has the specific skills the team needs to win in the middle of the ice. The math backs this up. McTavish dominated at the faceoff dot last season, outshining his competition by a whole six percent. That gap matters more than most fans realize when the puck drops.
A Fresh Start in St. Louis
The Blues made a huge move to get McTavish. They traded two first-round picks, the No. 15 and 29 overall selections, just to land him. That is a steep price to pay for a player who has struggled to find his footing. He missed training camp last fall due to a contract stalemate and ended up losing his top-line role in Anaheim. But a change of scenery can work wonders. Pat Verbeek, the Ducks’ general manager, is known for being tough in negotiations, and that environment seemed to hold McTavish back. Now he joins a veteran team where he does not have to carry the whole load. At this stage, the position remains available, yet it is McTavish who risks losing it.
Proving the Doubters Wrong
Not everyone is convinced this is a safe bet. The Athletic’s Harman Dayal ranked the Blues’ center duo as just “middle of the pack” in his power rankings. He highlighted that McTavish possesses some of the NHL’s poorest defensive metrics and skates very poorly. Those are real problems that need fixing before the regular season starts. However, Dayal also admitted that his offensive tools are legit. He had 52 points as a 22-year-old and is only a year removed from that career-high season. The potential is still there, even if the execution has been messy. That quote sums up the entire situation perfectly.
McMichael’s Role and the Path Forward
Connor McMichael is a talented player who signed a six-year, $6.75-million extension, but he is likely stuck on the wing. He rarely played down the middle for the Washington Capitals, and the Blues do not seem eager to force him into that role unless injuries strike. The team has Dalibor Dvorsky in the hunt as well, but he is not ready to take over the job yet. Head coach Jim Montgomery will have his hands full, but keeping McTavish at 2C is the right call for now. If McTavish can fix his skating and defensive gaps, the Blues could have a solid top-six center. If he fails, the roster looks thin. For now, the edge belongs to the 23-year-old who paid the price to get here.
