A link between Flames and Maple Leafs?
General manager Brad Treliving of the Toronto Maple Leafs should consider his old team’s squad when he looks to enhance on defense this off-season, according to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (opens in a new tab). Siegel thinks the Maple Leafs should make an inquiry about MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson if the Calgary Flames are determined to retool this summer, especially with Jacob Markstrom possibly headed out the door.
Weegar, 30, recently finished his career with 20 goals and 52 points in 82 games. Treliving awarded him a contract that runs through the 2030–31 season at a budget hit of $6.25 million. The Flames acquired him as part of their 2022 return for Matthew Tkachuk. Despite the large cost of the deal, Siegel contends that only July 1 will see comparable, if not higher, cap hits for free agents Brady Skjei, Brandon Montour, and Matt Roy.
In his sixth full season with the squad, Andersson, 27, finished with nine goals and 39 points in 78 games this year. He has a $4.55 million cap hit through 2025–2026, and Siegel observes that the Flames may have a difficult time persuading him to move into unrestricted free agency two years early. The unrestricted free agency of TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, Joel Edmundson, and Ilya Lyubushkin suggests that the Maple Leafs’ blueline may see some changes this summer. The players with contracts for the upcoming season are Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins, and rookie Cade Weber. Timothy Liljegren is a restricted free agent and may be eligible for arbitration.
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