The Calgary Flames have extended defenseman Mackenzie Weegar to an eight-year extension worth $50 million. the contract carries an annual average value of $6.25-million. The deal will expire at the end of the 2031 season. Weegar was acquired as a part of the blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers. He was traded alongside superstar forward Jonathan Huberdeau, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional 2025 1st-round pick.
RETURN OF THE MACK!
MacKenzie Weegar has been extended to an eight-year deal!
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 7, 2022
Calgary Flames MacKenzie Weegar Signs Contract Extension
Drafted in the seventh round of the 2013 draft, Weegar was a staple on Florida’s blue line for 5 seasons. The Ottawa native skated in 306 games for the Panthers and put up 121 points. He equally played in 20 playoff games, putting up 5 points. The three-year, $9.75-million contract that the defenceman signed with the Panthers in 2020 expires at the end of this season.
Weegar would have become an RFA. However, now he’s locked up long-term, which gives Calgary a great defenceman for the next eight years. In the 2021-22 season, Weegar played in 80 games and put up a career-high 44 points. He also had 81 penalty minutes and is not shy to play a physical game. His +40 plus/minus rating is representative of how efficient he is as a defender.
What This Means For The Future
With uncertainty on whether Huberdeau and Weegar would re-sign, the verdict of the massive Matthew Tkachuk trade was unknown. Jonathan Huberdeau’s eight-year, $84 million extension came first. Now with the Mackenzie Weegar extension, the trade is looking like a slam dunk for Calgary.
With Weegar, their defence will come to be highlighted by Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. But, even with great defencemen, Weegar will likely play a top-pairing role. Calgary is poised to make a deep playoff run after falling to the Oilers in the second round this past year. However, his former team also fell in the second round, to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now, it is yet to be seen if he can help them take it to the final.
Hitting career highs this past year, the 28-year-old is in the prime of his career. He will be an incredibly important piece on the Flames’ roster. The defenceman can be an important leader on the roster that lost two superstars in the off-season, with both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk leaving.
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