Another arbitration hearing can be cancelled, after the Florida Panthers announced they’ve come to terms with MacKenzie Weegar on a one-year contract. Weegar was scheduled for a hearing on July 30th, but will instead re-sign on a one-way contract worth $900K.
Weegar, 24, ended up with basically a full-time role with the Panthers in 2017-18 after the team traded away Jason Demers last September. In 60 games, the young defenseman recorded eight points and actually ranked second among Florida defenders in hits. That’s despite playing just over 14 minutes a night, which included virtually no time on the powerplay or penalty kill. If the team can avoid injury this year it’s not guaranteed that Weegar plays that many games again, though he certainly provides them with a strong depth option should they decide to insert him into the lineup.
With good skating skills and a habit of making quick, low-risk plays Weegar ended up with solid possession statistics and one of the best +/- ratings on the team at +5. Only Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle had better ratings among Florida defenders, while some of his direct competition for playing time struggled to post their previous solid play. There is a group of defensemen in Florida that will all be fighting for playing time this season, and there’s no doubt that Weegar will be right in the mix. If he doesn’t get at least 17 games he would qualify as a Group VI unrestricted free agent next season, and be allowed to sign wherever he wants.
Weegar was the final RFA left to sign for the Panthers, meaning their $2MM in cap space is free to spend on another player if they so choose. That number also includes several forwards who are unlikely to make the team out of camp, giving the team plenty of cap room to make a move in-season if they so choose. Florida will be trying to compete in a tough Atlantic Division where the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs are early favorites for the playoffs. Still, there are many things to be excited about when looking at a Panthers team that has just two regular skaters over the age of 30.