The Utah Mammoth picked up defenseman Mackenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames at the NHL trade deadline. In their second season in Salt Lake City, they are making a push for the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Weegar joins the team as the last piece they need to become a legitimate playoff contender. Weegar is the perfect fit for the Mammoth for three reasons.
The Mammoth gave up three second-round picks, prospect Jonathan Castagna, and veteran Olli Maata to land Weegar. At 32 years old, Weegar's prime is likely ending. But the Mammoth need veteran leadership, and they improved significantly on Maata's roster spot. They accumulated plenty of draft picks in the Arizona Coyotes days, and now they are cashing them in.
Why was trading for Mackenzie Weegar the right move for the Mammoth?
Lack of free agency options made the trade deadline important
There were a lot of players dealt with multiple years remaining on their contracts at this year's NHL trade deadline. Brayden Schenn, Nazem Kadri, Justin Faulk, Nic Dowd, and more players were traded despite not hitting free agency this year. With the Mammoth signing Nick Schmaltz to an extension after the deadline, there are not many players hitting the open market on July 1. Bringing in Weegar addresses a need for Utah without overspending on a lesser player in free agency.
Instead of chasing Darren Raddysh or John Carlson in free agency, the Mammoth made the sensible move. Weegar is under contract for five seasons after this one at $6.25 million per year. That is a lot for a second-pair defenseman, but they can fit it in under the cap and did not give up a first-round pick to land him.
Weegar's contract would make him a bad fit on other teams. But with Logan Cooley, Schmaltz, and many of their other core members signed long-term, the move makes sense for the Mammoth.
Adding playoff experience to a young team
The Mammoth traded for Mikhail Sergachev at the 2024 NHL Draft to get some leadership in the locker room. That has helped them raise their ceiling and put together a playoff push in just their second season. Weegar does not have the playoff experience Sergachev has, 20 postseason games compared to 100 for Sergachev. But adding any playoff experience is important.
The other key players on the Mammoth have limited to no playoff experience. Captain Clayton Keller played nine games for the Coyotes in the 2020 bubble, and Schmaltz played four games for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017. Outside of that, goalie Karel Vajmelka, and their elite line of JJ Peterka, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther have a combined 0 games of playoff experience.
The Mammoth are going to be heavy underdogs in the first round, especially if they fall into the second spot. The winner of the Central Division is likely to be the winner of the Presidents' Trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record. Weegar was a part of the Florida Panthers teams that did not get over the hump, but experience is important regardless.
Right-handed defenseman are a rarity
Last offseason, the Mammoth traded Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan to the Buffalo Sabres for JJ Peterka. Both teams have benefited from the move, as Buffalo is pushing for a division title and Peterka has a chance at his first 30-goal season. But Utah missed Kesselring, a big, right-handed defenseman who has been solid when healthy for Buffalo. Weegar is also right-handed, so replacing Kesselring is a key reason why he is a great fit in Utah.
There is a lack of right-handed defensemen in the NHL, making players like Kesselring valuable in trade conversations. Sergachev is their top defenseman and left-handed, so the Mammoth needed an anchor on the right side. They can now run Weegar out with Sergachev and bump John Marino and Sean Durzi down the lineup, which slots everyone in much better positions.
No one is going to confuse Mackenzie Weegar with Nicklas Lidstrom anytime soon. But he is a perfect fit for the Mammoth given his contract status, playoff experience, and handedness. If the Mammoth can clinch the top Wild Card spot, they will have a favorable matchup with the Pacific Division winner.
