Winnipeg Jets linked to star Anaheim Ducks player by trusted insider

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that the Anaheim Ducks are fielding calls on McTavish, with Winnipeg among the clubs expressing interest.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and St. Louis Blues have also checked in.

The surface read is simple: a team that missed the playoffs wants to add a talented 23-year-old forward.

But the real story is why the Jets are in this position at all.

When Nikolaj Ehlers left for the Carolina Hurricanes, the Jets replaced a consistent 20-goal, 35-assist top-six winger with Jonathan Toews on a $2 million deal and Gustav Nyquist at $3.25 million.

Toews managed 11 goals and 18 assists across 82 games. Nyquist posted one goal and 11 assists in 51 games before being moved at the deadline.

The result was a 21-win drop from a Presidents' Trophy season to the outside of the playoff picture.

Winnipeg's top three forwards - Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi - accounted for 42 percent of the team's total point production because there was no legitimate second option behind them.

McTavish, entering year two of a six-year deal worth $7 million annually, plays centre and left wing with no trade protection.

He fits the exact profile Winnipeg failed to acquire last summer.

The Jets carry over $20 million in projected cap space for 2026-27 under a $104 million ceiling.

Even after re-signing Cole Perfetti and Isak Rosen, there is room to absorb McTavish's full cap hit without moving a core piece.

General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff tried to patch the top six on a budget last summer. The gap McTavish would fill is the same one that cost Winnipeg its entire season.