Are the Penguins Quietly Eyeing a Blockbuster Move for Mason McTavish?

This off-season has been a quiet one thus far, but in recent times speculation has picked up, especially around young Anaheim Ducks star Mason McTavish, who remains without a new deal.

While the prevailing opinion of many is that he's set to get a new deal this off-season, as of right now there's still plenty of speculation around the 22-year old, with plenty of teams showing interest in him.

One of those teams is the Pittsburgh Penguins, who clearly need a long-term answer at center beyond Evgeni Malkin, and in McTavish, they have the perfect candidate to be groomed under Sidney Crosby for the future.

This is a move that Penguins fans have been urging Kyle Dubas to make, as many see the under-appreciated former lottery pick as someone that could make a genuine impact now and in the coming years for a Penguins team in need of young, NHL ready players.

Despite putting up 22 goals and 52 points a season ago, the Ducks appear hesitant to extend the young star, and with the Penguins having veterans like Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell to move, the makings of a deal are certainly there for both parties.

It's unclear exactly why GM Pat Verbeek is hesitant to give McTavish a new deal, as he has shown that he can be a franchise cornerstone alongside the likes of Jackson Lacombe and Leo Carlsson for years to come, but if things get closer to the season without a new deal, the Penguins need to pounce and offer them a deal they can't refuse.