29/03/2024

Blowers Racing

Spearheading Sports Quality

Flames sign MacKenzie Weegar to eight-year, $50M extension

Flames sign MacKenzie Weegar to eight-year, M extension

The Calgary Flames signed yet another one particular of their newcomers to a enormous extension. The Flames and MacKenzie Weegar
agreed to an 8-year extension well worth $50M ($6.25M typical yearly price). Weegar was scheduled for unrestricted free of charge agency right after the impending season. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff adds that it has a entire no-trade clause for the 1st 4 a long time of the offer and a partial no-trade for the last four. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has the full breakdown:

  • 2023-24: $4.25M income + $2.0M signing reward
  • 2024-25: $4.25M wage + $2.0M signing reward
  • 2025-26: $4.25M salary + $2.0M signing reward
  • 2026-27: $4.25M income + $2.0M signing bonus
  • 2027-28: $6.25M wage
  • 2028-29: $6.25M salary
  • 2029-30: $6.25M salary
  • 2030-31: $6.25M income

Obtained alongside with Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt and a to start with-round decide on this summer time in trade for Matthew Tkachuk (and a fourth-rounder), Weegar quickly publicized his motivation to stay in Calgary long time period. It makes perception that a player who has climbed from becoming a seventh-spherical afterthought to a initial-pairing star would be looking for some protection, and the Flames are content to oblige.

Nevertheless, supplied that Weegar will change 29 this period, an eight-yr extension is a relatively risky commitment. He’ll be 37 by the time the agreement finishes, not particularly in the standard key of an NHL defenseman.

There is a genuine risk for surplus benefit in the initially number of many years offered how perfectly Weegar has played the final handful of seasons, but even then he’ll now be finding compensated like a prime-pairing option. A $6.25M cap strike will tie him with Jeff Petry, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm and Josh Morrissey for the 34th highest-paid defenseman in the league.

A few of all those names should ship a little bit of hesitation down the backbone of Flames fans who really don’t want to be trapped with an overpaid, underperforming veteran, but there are a number of points in Calgary’s favor.

One, the salary cap is anticipated to increase substantially more than the subsequent couple a long time, meaning Weegar’s agreement will not be as important as these other quantities have been. 2nd, the workforce is of course focused on maintaining its competitive window open appropriate now, even right after shedding Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau in the offseason. Huberdeau’s enormous 8-calendar year, $84M extension proves that. That deal will possible search awful down the line, but for now, the team has at minimum two years with this outstanding core in area.

Notably, each Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, two of the most essential gamers on the team, are scheduled for UFA standing after 2023-24. They will equally be on the lookout for raises, and the Flames may perhaps have to make some rough conclusions with the relaxation of their roster to maintain them. If that suggests cutting talent in other places, they’ll at least have Huberdeau and Weegar (and Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson) locked in as leaders for the extensive term.