Flames sign MacKenzie Weegar to 8-year extension

One of the principal players from the Jonathan Huberdeau-Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster will be remaining in Calgary for the next decade.

MacKenzie Weegar signed an eight-year, $50-million extension with the Calgary Flames on Friday. The extension is slated to begin in the 2023-24 season, while he plays out the final year of his existing contract with a cap hit of $3.25 million.

The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, notching six goals and 44 points in 80 games last season.

Weegar is an outstanding skater and his mobility has allowed him to blossom quietly into one of the NHL’s premier defensemen. As a member of the Panthers, Weegar was paired with Aaron Ekblad and they emerged as one of the league’s most dominant duos, significantly outchancing and outscoring their opponents, while primarily being situated initially in their own defensive zone.

It’s unlikely Weegar will be considered one of the NHL’s most underrated players for long. He’s a right-shot defender in the prime of his career, he can walk the line on the power play, and can provide surplus value to a Flames team that should, no pun intended, light teams on fire this year.

Calgary underwent a significant overhaul, highlighted by the acquisitions of Weegar and Huberdeau, and the signing of Nazem Kadri, who is coming off a career year that culminated in a Stanley Cup victory. Huberdeau agreed to an eight-year, $84-million deal in August. Tkachuk is in sunny Florida while Johnny Gaudreau is the new face of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Brad Treliving is making a calculated bet that his new stars will not only keep the Flames in contention, but vault them over the Avalanche for Western Conference supremacy.

It’s a smart bet on a player who is an asset in the modern NHL. Calgary can rest easy now and with Weegar locked up for the next decade, it would appear initially that it won the defining trade of the summer.

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