The run-up to the NHL trade deadline has dropped numerous rumors involving the Boston Bruins. One such rumor posits Boston kicking the tires on Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.
Despite Weegar’s name being thrown around the league, it shouldn’t surprise Bruins fans to hear about the club checking in on the veteran right-shot blueliner.
Boston has been looking to shore up the right side of its blue line for a while now. The Rasmus Andersson saga proved the Bruins were serious about adding depth on the back end. As such, hearing about the Bruins’ interest in Weegar makes sense.
However, the Bruins are not the only team looking into the 32-year-old. According to the Fourth Period, the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings are among the clubs checking in on Weegar.
That’s why Bruins fans should be concerned. The last thing the club needs right now is to get into a bidding war with other teams. Sure, there’s a clear need for an upgrade. But with the trade market being what it is right now, the chances of competitors artificially driving up the price are high. That's why Don Sweeney would do well to sidestep overpaying. He should just let other clubs shoot themselves in the foot.
Bruins have one advantage over other clubs
That said, the Bruins do have one advantage over other clubs. Weegar has a full no-trade clause. As such, he would have to approve any deal to any team moving forward. That means that regardless of what one team offers, if Weegar is reluctant to waive his no-trade clause, that offer is pretty much pointless.
That could give Boston an edge. If the veteran blueliner chooses Boston, the Bruins would have leverage over other clubs. That’s the sort of thing that held Boston back in the Andersson trade. The now-Golden Knights defenseman really wanted to go to Vegas. So, it made whatever the Bruins offered meaningless.
As it stands, there’s no clarity in whether the Flames will even deal Weegar in the first place. Yes, Calgary GM Craig Conroy is taking calls. But there’s a long way between entertaining inquiries and actually moving forward with a deal.
With about seven days or so until the NHL trade deadline, fans could get news about a major Bruins trade heading down to the wire.