Breaking news from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman this afternoon that Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Alex Pietrangelo is withdrawing from the 4 Nations Tournament for Team Canada.
Pietrangelo would have been one of the veterans on the team at 35 years old, and was a natural fit on a pairing with fellow Golden Knight Shea Theodore. Now, the Canadians will need to find a replacement, and it could be a member of the Calgary Flames.
MacKenzie Weegar is the perfect replacement for Peitrangelo
Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar was in the conversation for a spot on Canada’s 4 Nations roster from the beginning, but was not selected when the rosters were announced at the end of last year.
Now that there is a spot available on the Canadian blueline, Weegar checks all the boxes to be Pietrangelo’s replacement.
Logistics wise, Weegar is a right shot just like Pietrangelo, so slotting him into Pietrangelo’s spot in the lineup is seamless. Weegar is also 31 years old and can provide a similar level of leadership and veteran presence as Pietrangelo would have.
In terms of his on-ice ability, Weegar definitely fits the build. He’s fourth among Canadian defenceman in goals over the past two seasons, eighth in points, and plays in all situations for the Flames. He could easily slot in as a middle or bottom pairing defender, eat minutes on the penalty kill, and hold his own in both ends of the ice.
You never know with Hockey Canada
Unfortunately, as much sense as it makes to add Weegar to the team, you just never know with Hockey Canada. They’ve made a lot of interesting decisions in terms of roster construction this year, so we’ll just have to wait and see who they select to replace Pietrangelo.
That being said, Weegar deserves the spot and would be a worthy choice.
