After a tense few hours of Flames fans waiting to head news on whether MacKenzie Weegar would waive his No Trade Clause, Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the 32-year-old defenceman is set to join the Utah Mammoth.
Heading back to Calgary is Finnish offensive defenceman Olli Määttä, three second round draft picks, and 2023 third round pick Jonathan Castagna.
https://x.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/2029364977190994178
Here is a breakdown of the return headed to Calgary.
The Player
Määttä, 31, has one assist in 22 games this season. Originally drafted 22nd overall in 2012, the Jyväskylä, Finland product is a veteran of 13 NHL seasons collecting 42 goals and 154 assists for 196 points in 783 games.
The six-foot-two defender has faced adversity this season including being healthy scratched for 23 games.
Possibly included for salary cap purposes, Määttä’s contract carries a $3,500,000 cap hit for two more seasons after this year. If the Flames were to buy out his deal in the summer, the team would be on the books for a cap hit of $1,170,000 per year for the next four years.
A recent Olympian, Määttä’ has a ten-team No Trade List in his contract that converts to a five team NTL next year and drops trade protection in it’s final year.
But why relinquish what you don’t have to? Määttä has NHL experience and plays the left side. He won’t get in the way of Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, or Zach Whitecloud. Yan Kuznetsov and Kevin Bahl are established above him in the lineup.
It’s likely that Joel Hanley and Määttä’ duke it out for left-side deployment on the third pairing.
The Prospect
Jonathan Castagna is a promising 20-year-old left-shot center currently playing for Cornell University in the NCAA. His 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 29 games put him tied for 42nd in production. The Etobicoke, Manitoba product has above average mobility and is reportedly quick to close gaps. The 70th overall pick from 2023 is in his third year of university and should be ready to make the jump in the fall of 2027.
Weighing in at six-foot-two and 202 pounds, Castagna is unsigned and will need a contract before going pro.
The Picks
Calgary gets the 2026 second round pick originally belonging to the following teams:
-Utah
-Ottawa
-New York (Rangers)
The Utah Mammoth currently sit in 16th place, projects to be middle of the second round. They hold a four point lead on a Wildcard playoff position, but could slip down the stretch.
The Ottawa Senators are three places below Utah in 19th place overall.
The New York Rangers are in 30th place; one point below the Flames, who have 55 points in 60 games. That second round pick projects to fall. The Rangers have been the second-worst team in the NHL in the new year, going 4-11-3.
The Flames now have two first round picks, four second round picks, and three third round picks at the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Weegar
Heading to Utah is an impeccable defender who happens to be having a season loaded with adversity.
Originally acquired in the infamous Matthew Tkachuk trade, the now 32-year-old defenceman manages gaps and denies zone entries at an elite level. The six-foot, 206-pound blueliner hit a career high in goals (20) and points (52) in 2023-24 in his second season with the Flames.
This year has been difficult. Weegar leads the NHL with a -35 plus/minus rating and almost every game seems to feature a devastating giveaway. Despite the tough year, fans and media have held strong in their confidence that this season is more of an outlier.
Statistics courtesy of Cap Wages, Natural Stat Trick, and the National Hockey League.
Keep Reading:
Report: Weegar Trade to Mammoth Pending Player Approval
Do the Calgary Flames Have a Meritocracy Problem?
5 Post-Olympic Questions Surrounding the Calgary Flames
Follow on X: @Trevor_Neufeld
Looking for discussion? Check out our forums section and weigh in on what’s happening around the NHL!
