The Ducks have a unique star in Mason McTavish

Welcome to NHL Insights and Observations. Every week, I’ll use this space to highlight teams, players, storylines, and general musings around the NHL. This week, we take a look at Mason McTavish’s breakout with the upstart Anaheim Ducks, Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s bounce-back campaign in Florida, Mathieu Joseph’s play in Ottawa, and the surprising Jets and red-hot Capitals.

Mason McTavish is him. The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the best stories this season. Through just 16 games so far this season, they already have six third period come-from-behind victories. In the past four seasons, they have finished 32nd, 23rd, 30th, and 27th, and that has resulted in a collection of high draft picks that are finally starting to develop. For a few years now, Trevor Zegras has grabbed headlines with flashy plays and was the presumed star to lead the franchise back to relevance — but he has just two points in 12 games this season and is now on injured reserve. Anaheim’s true breakout star has been 2021 third overall pick Mason McTavish, who is turning 21 in January. There is a real craftiness and deception to his game that throws off opponents. He’s been making players and goalies look like this on the regular. They will eventually catch on and he’ll have to adjust to their adjustments, but there’s no doubt he’s a crafty talent on the way to becoming a real star in this league.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has found his game in Florida. Suddenly an unrestricted free agent for the first time, Ekman-Larsson ended up signing a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers worth $2.25 million. The Panthers returned the core that just went to the Stanley Cup Final, but with one big caveat: Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad, their two offense drivers on the back end, were both hurt to start the season. That opened up a prime opportunity for Ekman-Larsson to assert himself offensively to start the season, and he’s done just that. This is a defenseman who had a six-season stretch in Arizona where he averaged 16.5 goals per season. Beyond the offense, Ekman-Larsson and Forsling are winning their minutes across the board — shot attempts, scoring chances, expected goals, and actual goals are all north of 50%. How the veteran and the Panthers adjust when Ekblad and Montour return will be fascinating to watch play out, but for now, he is holding the fort and playing like the contributor many remember from his time in Arizona.

Sens made the right call with Mathieu Joseph. It was only a few years ago that Joseph put himself on the map with the Tampa Bay Lightning when he entered the playoff lineup after Alex Killorn got hurt. The following season he was traded at the deadline for Nick Paul as Tampa Bay upgraded their roster. Joseph was the price to pay and he went to the Senators and put up 11 points in 12 games before an injury ended his season. He was then signed to a four-year, $11.8-million contract. It was a reasonable gamble at the time for a player with blazing speed, strong defensive play, and showing flashes offensively. Last season did not go as expected, though. He was injured two separate times, for five- and two-week stretches, and had just three goals and 18 points in 56 games. He started this season well enough and earned a promotion to play alongside Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux, and so far he is making good on the opportunity. Joseph is playing a career high 16:24 per game and is averaging two shots on net per game, which is way above his career average of 1.22. He is a really useful player for just $2.95 million per season.

Jets firing on (mostly) all cylinders. Winnipeg said goodbye to some key players and big offensive producers in the offseason and so far the Jets are scoring way more. The Jets averaged three goals per game last season, which ranked 21st, and their power play ranked 23rd. So far this season, they are ranked sixth in goals per game with 3.67. It starts with the NHL’s co-goal scoring leader in Kyle Connor, who is shooting 19.4%, a mark that would shatter his previous career high of 16.1. The real story of it all might be Cole Perfetti. The second-year forward is taking a leap. He had eight…

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Sarah Anderson

Sarah Anderson dives into the fast-paced world of NHL hockey. Her coverage includes game analysis, player spotlights, and the latest news from the ice. Sarah’s dedication to the sport ensures that hockey enthusiasts stay informed about the NHL’s thrilling action.