2 Ducks trade candidates after 2nd round loss to Golden Knights

The Anaheim Ducks have plenty of things to build on after their second-round elimination at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. Anaheim defeated the back-to-back Stanley Cup Finalists, the Edmonton Oilers, in the first round, which is no small feat with their two superstars. The Ducks are still a very young team as they head into the 2026 offseason, but two of their brightest young players, Olen Zellweger and Mason McTavish, are trade candidates after their usage by Joel Quenneville this season.

Both players saw their lowest usage of the season under Quenneville, with it hitting a low during the postseason when they were both healthy scratches at different times. Zellweger played just three of 12 games for the Ducks, which was especially concerning given that Anaheim went with the untraditional 11 forwards and 7 defense route in some games. McTavish, who seemed like one of the longer shots on the roster to be a healthy scratch, sat for two games during the postseason and played just 12:25 per game.

Trading either of these two young players would feel like taking one step forward and two steps back, but if Quenneville is going to be the head coach who leads this team to contention, he’s going to need to have his favorite players. Clearly, neither of these players falls into that category after one season on the job, but that doesn’t mean it can’t change. Pat Verbeek could take the risk that Quenneville and the two players sort it out and make it work, but it is a risky game to play when trying to maintain the trade value of both players.

Olen Zellweger, Mason McTavish trades would leave a hole in Ducks’ lineup

Both McTavish and Zellweger would leave holes in the team’s lineup, despite how it may have looked during the 2026 postseason. The duo figured to be important pieces of the rebuild and a part of the franchise for a long time, but after Anaheim showed they can contend as early as next season, adding some veteran depth alongside players like Beckett Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier, and Jackson LaCombe may feel more important than trying to make this square peg fit in a round hole.

Verbeek would be wise to strike while the iron is hot on these players before Quenneville further craters their value by playing them less and less during the 2026-27 season. Zelleweger still shows massive value as a puck-moving defenseman, as players like that are becoming more and more important in the hockey world. McTavish can also become a solid middle-six center that can play both ways and be a valuable contributor on the powerplay. Any return the Ducks can get from these players would help them both for the present and the future.

Some early destinations that stand out are two Atlantic Division teams, the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins are desperate for both some young talent down the middle and a puck-moving defenseman, and a potential blockbuster deal could check both boxes. The Maple Leafs have some similar needs heading into next season as they attempt to bridge the gap between the Auston Matthews era and the potential Gavin McKenna era if they take him first overall in the 2026 NHL Draft.

It’s going to be tough pieces to stomach moving away from for Verbeek, but if he can find a deal that makes his team better right away, he won’t be afraid to do it.

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