After mostly crickets, the NHL’s trade deadline is in full force. The Utah Mammoth landed one of the biggest names on the market, acquiring right-shot defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames. The return included a mix of players and draft picks:
Mammoth receive:
Flames receive:
- Jonathan Castagna
- Olli Määttä
- 2026 second-round pick (via New York Rangers)
- 2026 second-round pick (via Ottawa Senators)
- 2026 second-round pick (via Utah Mammoth)
Utah, currently occupying the top wildcard spot in the Western Conference with a record of 32–25–4, is making a push. Meanwhile, Calgary is embracing a much-needed rebuild. Let’s break down what this deal means for both sides.
Mammoth Believe in Their Core
More than anything, the Mammoth are signaling to the hockey world that they believe in their core of players. Weegar is a complementary piece to what they already have, boosting the immediate and long-term upside of the team.
Here are the basics: Weegar is 32 years old and under contract through 2030–31 at a $6.25 million cap hit. Father Time starts to strike players down around his age, but there should be some confidence that Weegar can maintain his status as a good No. 2–3 defenseman for some time.
Getting into the numbers, though, this season has not been kind to Weegar. He has three goals and 18 assists in 60 games, a severe decline from his typical offensive production. To make matters worse, he has a dreadful minus-35 rating.
Plus/minus can be deceiving at times, and it is to some extent for Weegar. However, he has been outscored 59–31 at 5-on-5, putting up a 47.0% expected goal share in the process. When he’s off the ice, the Flames have outscored their opponents 66–65 with a 48.2% expected goal share at five-a-side hockey—Weegar is playing a role in these struggles.
But let’s not get too hung up on the numbers. Weegar is still a gifted two-way defender who moves the puck a ton and has excellent shutdown traits. Perhaps the days of elite top-pairing results are gone, but he is still super dependable on the back end. He checks a plethora of boxes for Utah.
The cost was a pleasant surprise. The Mammoth avoided parting ways with one of their big-name prospects and didn’t have to give up a first-round pick. This isn’t a risk-free move, but dumping Määttä’s salary makes it an A-grade transaction.
Mammoth grade: A
Flames Are Embracing a Sell-Off
The Flames are doing the right thing here. Weegar was far from a must-trade player—he has six years left on his contract. But the team recognizes that it probably won’t be able to maximize a 32-year-old defenseman before age naturally starts to affect his play.
Related: THW’s 2026 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
As for the return, this was indeed a bit underwhelming, but it has some bright spots. Castagna, 20 years old, could be a future bottom-six center for the Flames. He has a team-leading 32 points in 29 games at Cornell University this season.
Still, he’s also not the Cole Beaudoin-type prospect that some fans might have expected to get for such a high-quality defenseman. There’s a world where Castagna doesn’t even become an NHL regular in Calgary.
The other player in this return is Määttä, who is more of a cap dump than anything. He just began a three-year, $3.5 million cap-hit contract, yet has only suited up for 22 games and been relegated to 12:10 of average ice time in those contests. You could argue that it should’ve cost Utah a second-round pick just to get this one off the books.
The three 2026 second-round picks shouldn’t be overlooked, though. This gives the Flames’ scouts a chance to sell the front office on a multitude of perceived undervalued prospects. If a trade opportunity presents itself, that’s always an option, too.
Overall, the Flames did a good job of putting their ego aside and realizing that there’s lots of work to do. But when considering Määttä’s deal and the lack of a high-end asset, they have to be docked quite a few points.
Flames grade: D-plus
Stats courtesy of Hockey Stats
