Of all the players with ties to the opposite team in Monday's clash, the Calgary defenceman is the one on pace for a career campaign
Scoring in a victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning; You bet that’s a big deal for MacKenzie Weegar.
Up next, though, is a bigger opportunity to make a mark.
Weegar may be a lynchpin for the Calgary Flames, but from his five-plus seasons with the Florida Panthers, that rivalry with the Lightning remains strong. Therefore, his goal that played a huge part in Saturday's 4-2 victory was extra special.
On the heels of that game, the Flames (12-14-5) face the Panthers in their final pre-Christmas home clash.
“I can’t wait for that game. It’ll be a fun one,” Weegar said.
Of all the players with ties to the opposing team, especially among the parties involved in the massive trade in the summer of 2022, Weegar is arguably the one who is playing the best for his current club.
Weegar matched his career high with his eighth goal of the season in Saturday’s win, which ties him for second among all blue liners behind Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes, who has nine tallies.
“I’ve got to let it ride a little bit. I’m just trying to be a threat out there,” he said.
When the swap was made, the key parts were Matthew Tkachuk heading to Florida and the Flames received Jonathan Huberdeau, a 2025 conditional first-round pick and Weegar.
Huberdeau’s struggles since the trade are well documented, and his latest woes are an eight-game pointless skid and just three assists in 13 outings. Tkachuk, coming off consecutive 40-goal seasons, has just five tallies in 30 games, a 14-goal pace for the Panthers (18-10-2).
Meanwhile, Weegar is looking to boast career-best numbers. At this point last season, he had no goals and seven assists.
“A lot of it has to do with how he’s feeling about his game right now,” coach Ryan Huska said. “He moves a lot on the blueline when he’s shooting, so he’s changing his shot lane or his shot angles a little bit and he’s making that forward or winger that’s trying to get into that lane, his job a little more difficult. He’s making good decisions when to shoot it really quickly and when to walk the line. It’s nice it’s paying off for him.”