Flames' Weegar Getting Plenty Of Trade Interest, One Team Highlighted

The Calgary Flames appear to be somewhat open to going into a rebuild. They have some talented young pieces and plenty of players that they can move for more assets. They may not want to tear it completely down, but while sitting 29th in the NHL this season, there is interest coming their way for a number of their players.

One name in particular that is intriguing and would be a big one is Mackenzie Weegar. David Pagnotta said, "They haven't approached him about his no-trade. There's already some reports of Ottawa and whatnot, but there are other teams."

Weegar is a solidified top-4 right-shot defensemen. Those are pretty rare to find if a team doesn't draft and develop one themselves. And the Flames just recently traded away one in Rasmus Andersson. Unlike Weegar, Andersson was on the last year of his deal and was likely going to leave. Weegar has five more years left at $6.25 million AAV. Even though he isn't having a great season overall because of how poorly the Flames have played, that is a good deal for at least half of the remaining time.

He is 32 years old and is in a position to help a team make the playoffs and win, not stew at the bottom of the standings. The Flames have Zach Whitecloud, Zayne Perekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Brayden Pachal to play the right side if they move Weegar, and that would give each of them more opportunities to succeed without a minute-eater playing well over 20 minutes per game and two minutes per game on each of the special teams.

The interest from the Ottawa Senators makes too much sense as their top two defensemen both play the left side. With Nick Jensen being a UFA after this season and Artem Zub becoming one at the end of next season, there may only be Jordan Spence and a young Carter Yakemchuk as natural righties. For a team that has hopes of being a regular contender, adding Weegar with the cap space they have would push them higher for the next handful of seasons.

It will surely be tough to pull Weegar out of Ottawa, even with the current seasons he's having, but if the Flames do choose to trade him, the deal would have to go through him as he has a full no-trade clause for this season and next.