It’s been an interesting offseason so far for the New York Rangers, who have already made a series of moves that they believe will help them move closer to returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next year.
Their most significant move thus far has been the acquisition of forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for a 2026 first-round pick (No. 26), a 2026 third-round pick (No. 92), and a 2028 first-round pick. They also signed him to a seven-year, $77 million extension, keeping him in the Big Apple for the foreseeable future.
However, it appears as though the Rangers were also in the mix to acquire one of the more intriguing forwards that had heavily been involved in trade rumors before he was ultimately moved to a Western Conference Club instead.
The New York Rangers Were Interested In Acquiring Mason McTavish From The Ducks
According to a report from NHL Insider Frank Seravalli, the Rangers and Ducks were involved in discussions to acquire forward Mason McTavish, who was instead ultimately sent to the St. Louis Blues.
A newer report from Seravalli indicated that the Rangers and Ducks appeared to have the framework in place for a deal to acquire McTavish that included Braden Schneider:
“The Rangers [had] an offer on the table that I believe…[included] right shot defenseman Braden Schneider,” Seravalli said via The Big Show.
McTavish is a former first-round pick, having been taken by the Ducks with the third overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Since breaking into the NHL with the Ducks in the 2022–23 campaign, McTavish has established himself as a steady offensive contributor, consistently producing across each season with goal totals of 17, 19, 22, and 17.
He continued that reliable scoring touch this year, helping Anaheim end its playoff drought and reach the postseason for the first time since 2018, finishing the regular season with 17 goals and 24 assists over 75 appearances.
In the playoffs, McTavish elevated his game slightly, recording one goal and five assists as the Ducks pushed through to the Western Conference Semifinals. Their run ultimately ended at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in a hard-fought series.
He’s appeared in 304 career NHL regular season games, and has scored 77 goals with 104 assists for 181 points, along with a minus-54 rating as well as 212 penalty minutes.
He’s about to enter the second season of a six-year, $42-million contract he signed with the Ducks late last September, which carries a $7 million cap hit.
The Rangers Acquired Pavel Dorofeyev From The Golden Knights
Dorofeyev enjoyed a breakout 2025-26 campaign, dressing for all 82 regular-season games for the second straight year and becoming one of just four Golden Knights to accomplish the feat. The 25-year-old set new personal bests with 37 goals, 27 assists, and 64 points, while his 20 power-play tallies ranked second across the NHL.
He paced Vegas in goals, power-play scoring (30 points), and power-play goals, finished second on the club with 230 shots, and placed fourth in overall scoring. He then carried that momentum into the playoffs, contributing 12 goals and four assists in 22 games as the Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Carolina in six games.
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