NHL Rumors: Bruins Among Teams To Have ‘Checked In’ On MacKenzie Weegar

The Boston Bruins could stand to add a little more depth to the right side of their defense, and a Florida Panthers right-shot blueliner apparently is in their sights.

MacKenzie Weegar is a restricted free agent this offseason, and he reportedly is drawing some trade interest around the league. That’s according to SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman, who also noted the Bruins have been one of the teams kicking the tires.

“MacKenzie Weegar’s a popular name,” Friedman wrote. “Anaheim, Boston, Colorado, Toronto and Winnipeg are among those who have checked in.”

The Bruins currently have Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Connor Clifton and Kevan Miller on the right side. Weegar would be an upgrade over Clifton and Miller, and could find a nice home on the third pairing if he were to land in Boston.

A 6-foot, 210-pound 26-year-old, Weegar plays with edge and isn’t afraid to mix it up. He and Panthers teammate Noel Acciari used to get into it all the time when Acciari was with the Bruins.

Weegar logged seven goals and 11 assists in 45 games this past season while averaging north of 20 minutes of ice time per game. He’s been an NHL mainstay for three seasons now on a largely bad Panthers defense, meaning a reduced role in Boston where he doesn’t have to shoulder a huge load could help accentuate his on-ice value.