The Calgary Flames are ready to quiet their doubters as they prepare to enter the 2023-24 season. This is a team who over the years has shown at times they are capable of being contenders, but at other times appear to lack chemistry and grow frustrated. The latter was certainly the case last season, as some of their new additions failed to gel right away, and many quickly grew tired of former head coach Darryl Sutter.
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With Sutter now out of the picture and their newer additions being more comfortable in their surroundings, the Flames are looking to contend once again this season. One player in particular who seems very excited to get back at it is MacKenzie Weegar, who was a part of the blockbuster trade that saw Matthew Tkachuk head to the Florida Panthers.
Weegar’s first season in Calgary started out rather poorly, as he was unable to showcase the offensive abilities he displayed in the season prior with the Panthers, and also struggled in his own end. Over the second half of the year, however, he really found his game and became not only the Flames’ best defenceman but one of the better blueliners in the entire NHL.
Weegar Has High Expectations for Upcoming Season
There is no getting past the fact that last season was a major disappointment for the Flames. Everyone that remains on the roster knows it, including Weegar. That said, there is reason to think this team can turn things around, and the Flames defenceman believes just that.
“I think with the two new hirings with [Craig Conroy] and [Ryan Huska], I think that was already moving in the right direction,” the defenceman told NHL.com. “There’s lots of rumors of guys not wanting to be here or guys staying. To be honest, I kind of keep my head out of it and my nose out of it. I just want guys that want to be here. And I think Craig and Husk are on the same page.
“For me the turnover, it doesn’t really affect me. All that matters is the guys that want to be here and guys that want to win here in Calgary and if you don’t want to be a part of it, unfortunately you have to move on even if they’re great friends and great guys. For me, you want to win and I think we want to win now. It starts with Craig and Husk at the helm.”
It seems that since the 2022-23 season ended, Weegar has been doing and saying all the right things. While he would have had plenty of reason to be upset with how things went given the success the Panthers had after his departure, he seems to have completely flipped the page and appears to be fully committed to the Flames.
In large part due to his positive comments regarding the state of the team, many have begun speculating whether he could be the Flames’ next captain. They have been without one since the departure of Mark Giordano in the 2021 offseason, but Huska made it clear shortly after his hiring that he would be naming one at some point ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. When asked about potentially receiving the captaincy, Weegar admitted that he would be thrilled.
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“That’s a huge honor. If they did choose me, I would love to be the captain of the Calgary Flames. There would be a lot of work. I think I’m ready for it, and I would love to represent the Calgary Flames as the captain. It would be a real honor and a real pleasure.”
Whether he does end up being this organization’s new captain remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that he is in consideration. Others who have been discussed in regards to potentially receiving the captaincy are Rasmus Andersson and Mikael Backlund, though the latter is very unlikely unless he is willing to sign an extension beforehand.
Weegar Likely to Get Back to Old Form
As mentioned previously, Weegar really regained his Panthers form over the second half of his first season with the Flames. Now that he is clearly more comfortable with the city and the team, he should be able to continue that play throughout the 2023-24 season. Regardless of whether or not he is named captain, Flames fans should be very excited about what is to come for the 29-year-old blueliner.
