Armstrong explains Mammoth's trade deadline approach after Weegar move

SALT LAKE CITY — The NHL trade deadline has now officially passed, with the Mammoth only making one move.

Utah added MacKenzie Weegar in a trade with the Calgary Flames on Wednesday after sending Olli Maatta, Jonathan Castagna and three second-round picks to Calgary in exchange for the veteran defenseman.

"He brings a wealth of experience," Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said. "I think what we love about him is his ability to move a puck, he's a gamer, someone that shows up every night, plays a physical brand of hockey. Not the biggest D-man in the world but he's got a great brain."

Weegar will help shore up an already strong defensive group for the Mammoth while also providing some offense at the position. In 60 games with the Flames this season, Weegar totaled 21 points on three goals and 18 assists.

His best season came in 2023-24 when Weegar tallied 52 points with 20 goals.

"It's a great trade in the sense of adding another great D-man to the already pretty strong defensive core back there," Armstrong said.

The versatility that Weegar possesses will help him fit into whatever spot in the lineup that head coach Andre Tourigny chooses to utilize him in, and Amrstrong is confident Weegar will fit in right away.

"I think that's the great thing about him, he's a top four (defenseman)," Armstrong said. "He can play PP, PK, almost any situation, he can play a shutdown role, too. He's going to be a big asset for us down the stretch."

Tourigny coached Weegar in the past and said he looks forward to being able to have the chance to coach him again.

"Great guy, old school, heart and soul, warrior, moves the puck really well, has a good shot. Everything he does, he does it quick," Tourigny said. "Really happy, he's a good veteran."

Weegar, an Ontario, Canada, native, will need to get a visa before he can play for the Mammoth, which is expected to take 4-10 days. When asked what the exact timeline looks like, Tourginy joked, "You need to ask Uncle Donald that."

Lawson Crouse played with Weegar at the World Championships and also looks forward to him joining Utah's lineup and locker room.

"He's a great player, he moves well, he's physical and he's passionate," Crouse said. "He really cares about winning. I got to know him pretty well off the ice — an incredible human being. Definitely will jump into our group and fit right in and be a huge part for us."

Despite only making one trade at the deadline, Armstrong said he is confident in the direction the team is headed and believes the move will not only aid in that but also set the Mammoth up for success in the future.

"We added to our group with Mackenzie Weegar. And bringing him on board and being able to take that next step as a team and add a really high quality player that can play in our top four and make a difference every night for us. I think that it sends a message to the group that there's a belief about our team and where we're going.

"I think we tried to accomplish two things and protect the future; and at the same time, get better as a team, as an organization. I think we accomplished that."

It was reported the Mammoth was interested in St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, but the asking price was reportedly way too high for Armstrong and the organization to pull the trigger, with the Blues asking for multiple top prospects and draft picks.

Utah was able to hold onto its top prospects, which include Caleb Desnoyers, Tij Iginla and Dmitriy Simashev.

"It was an important deadline for us," Armstrong said. "At the same time, I always say this: Our best team is not here yet, and so we had to make sure that we didn't give away the future with some of our elite prospects that we've drafted over the years, along with some high end picks that we still have as an organization."

On top of the trade deadline, Armstrong also addressed a possible contract extension for Nick Schmaltz, who is currently in the midst of a career year.

"I feel comfortable and confident that Nick is going to be a Mammoth," Armstrong said. "I feel comfortable and confident that we're going to make progress."

Sitting at 33-25-4, the Mammoth currently hold the first wild card spot in the Western Conference and have 20 more games left on the schedule. Three games remain on the team's five-game road trip.

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