Calgary Flames
Flames Sign MacKenzie Weegar to 8-Year Contract Extension
The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to an eight-year contract extension.
The Calgary Flames have their newly-acquired defenseman locked up to a long-term deal. With reports that MacKenzie Weegar might be inclined to shut down negotiations if the 2022-23 NHL season started without an extension done, the Flames didn’t take any chances and got Weegar signed to an eight-year extension worth $50 million.
The $6.25 million he’ll be paid per season starting next year will represent a bump nearly double that of the salary he’s currently making. Most will argue he’s worth that new amount as he’s been one of the NHL’s most reliable offensive defensemen in the past few seasons and he’s going to be a huge part of the Flames’ blue line moving forward. Twitter account @JFresh goes to so far as to say his underlying numbers suggest Weegar “has been one of the league’s top two-way defencemen in the past three seasons. On top of his high-end transition game and 5v5 play-driving, he’s been an elite rush and in-zone defender.”
Just 28, the deal will take him to the age of 36 and while that might be problematic, he’ll be productive most of the years he’s with the Flames on this new deal.
The deal includes a full no-trade clause for the first four years, followed by a limited no-trade clause in the final four years. The Flames are a team that is building to be extremely competitive in the next four or five seasons. How they perform after that when big money is being given to older players is apparently not a priority for them at this stage.
GM Brad Treliving is being praised for the work he did this offseason with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk both leaving the organization. Treliving landed Jonathan Huberdeau and Weegar in the deal for Tkachuk, and he also got a 1st round selection. The trade and then getting both players acquired in the deal signed should make Treliving an early candidate for GM of the year.
Next: Ottawa Senators Pushing Hard to Sign Alex DeBrincat
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