Report: Mammoth close to acquiring Flames' Weegar

The Utah Mammoth are closing in on a trade for Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The deal is reportedly still pending approval by Weegar, whose contract contains a full no-trade clause.

Veteran blue-liner Olli Maatta is part of the return heading back to Calgary if the trade goes through, reports insider Frank Seravalli.

Weegar is signed through 2029-30 with a $6.25-million cap hit.

The 32-year-old is in the midst of a down year with 21 points and a minus-35 rating in 60 games. However, he notched 47 points last season and set career highs with 20 goals and 52 points in 2023-24.

Weegar's underlying numbers in the previous two campaigns were impressive: He ranked third among NHL defensemen with 18.5 goals above replacement last season and 42nd with 9.2 GAR in 2023-24, per Evolving-Hockey. This season, Weegar ranks 277th among 279 defensemen with minus-8 GAR.

He shoots right but has frequently played the left side throughout his 10-year NHL career. Utah's defense features a diverse mix of lefties in Mikhail Sergachev, Nate Schmidt, and Ian Cole, plus righties Sean Durzi and John Marino.

Maatta's role has been reduced in Utah this season, as he's appeared in 22 games while averaging 12:10 per contest. The 31-year-old is under contract for two more seasons after 2025-26 with a $3.5-million cap hit.