Panthers, Weegar settle on 3-year deal reportedly worth $9.75M

The Florida Panthers and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar will not need arbitration after settling on a three-year deal, the team announced Friday.

The contract will carry an average annual value of $3.25 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"MacKenzie is a solid two-way competitor who brings tenacity and skill to our lineup," General manager Bill Zito said. "He has developed into a key member of the Panthers both on and off the ice and we look forward to him taking the next step in his career."

Weegar, 26, has increasingly played a vital top-four defensive role with the Panthers since making his NHL debut in 2016. He recorded seven goals and 11 assists in 45 games this past season while averaging 20:07 of ice time per game.

The Ottawa native was one of the Panthers' best possession players in 2019-20. He ranked fourth on the team with a Corsi For rating of 53.25% at five-on-five and second with an expected goals for rating of 54.73%.

Florida drafted Weegar in the seventh round in 2013. He's appeared in 172 career games with the team, tallying 13 goals and 28 assists.