We are less than a month from the start of Calgary Flames training camp. With a new season upon us, now is the time to start exploring different lineups, along with projecting the roster. Arguably, the most intriguing area of the team is the defence.
One of the defencemen is all but traded from the roster and is looking to have a big showing before his new contract. Another defenceman is looking to make his mark in the league and show that he belongs. MacKenzie Weegar is by far the Flames’ best defenceman, so who should be his defensive partner? We asked, you answered.
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Who should be Weegar’s partner?
We presented the below poll to our readers:
Who should play on the top pair with Weegar?
— The Win Column (@wincolumnCGY) August 29, 2025
Zayne Parekh
This would be the ideal answer long term, that’s for sure. Zayne Parekh is looked at as the new franchise cornerstone defenceman, and what better way to get the best out of him than to pair him with the best Flames defenceman, a defenceman who already took Parekh under his wing, and someone who can cover defensively and let Parekh show off his offence?
The concern with this answer, though, is that we need to remember that Parekh is a rookie. He may be a great player down the road, but he still needs to adjust to the NHL. Putting him on the top pair playing top minutes may be too much pressure initially.
Joel Hanley
Joel Hanley played a decent amount of minutes with Weegar last season, and overall, they did play decently. During the season, the two put up a 56% xGF and a 51% HDCF. Not dominant numbers for sure, however, not bad either. Having the two on the ice may not be an absolute disadvantage. However, they likely won’t be able to dominate and have full control.
Kevin Bahl
Kevin Bahl barely played any minutes with Weegar last season. If they want Weegar to be more offensive and carry the offensive production on the backend, this pairing would make some sense. Bahl was great defensively for the Flames, and Weegar has lots of offensive skill that he can show on the ice.
The problem with doing this, though, is that the Falmes are arguably putting their two top defencemen on the same pairing, leaving the bottom two pairings easier to expose.
Rasmus Andersson
If they were to go with these two as a pairing, Weegar would need to play on the left side. There is potential for this pairing to do well, especially with Andersson playing in a contract year. I think the concern with this approach is that it really weakens the right side for the Flames. However, if Parekh can come out swinging and prove he belongs, then the Flames may be more comfortable with Andersson as Weegar’s partner.
What makes the most sense?
This is something that the coaching staff will have to analyze during training camp. In a perfect world, I am sure the Flames would want Parekh to be paired with Weegar on the backend, as that will likely be the pairing of the future for the Flames. During training camp, the organization will need to decide whether Parekh is ready or not, and if not, who can be his substitute in the meantime?
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