52 MacKenzie Weegar D

Weegar scored a goal on a pair of shots Sunday and added four hits with two blocks in a 4-2 loss to Carolina.

Weegar drilled a one-timer off a Noel Acciari faceoff win to get the Panthers on board midway through the first period. It was the second goal of the campaign for the 27-year-old, who has produced a respectable 10 points and plus-5 rating in 23 games.

Weegar scored his first goal of the season and added an assist in Friday's 7-2 win over the Red Wings.

The multi-point effort was also Weegar's first of the year. The 27-year-old defenseman is enjoying riding the coat-tails of the Panthers' red-hot offense and now has seven points through 15 games, a pace that would allow him to set a new career scoring high even in this season's shortened schedule.

Weegar picked up his third helper of the season in Friday's 2-1 win over the Predators.

The assist came on the game-winning goal by Aleksander Barkov late in the second period. Weegar also recorded three shots, two hits and two blocks in the game, which kept the Panthers undefeated in regulation so far this season. The 27-year-old remains a steady defensive presence on the Cats' top pairing. While his main role is allowing his defensive partner Aaron Ekblad to get more involved in the offense, Weegar is no slouch himself when he gets a chance to join the rush. Last season, he tallied seven goals and 18 points in 45 games.

Weegar got his first point of the season with an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime win against the Blackhawks

Head coach Joel Quenneville has given Weegar a role with Aaron Ekblad on the team's top defensive unit to start the season, and he's looked right at home. The 27-year-old showed flashes of promise last season but was hampered by multiple injuries that limited him to only 45 games. Weegar is unlikely to fill up the scoresheet -- he has only 42 points in 174 career games -- but he is likely to continue skating over 20 minutes a night as the Panthers look to solve their defensive deficiencies.

Weegar is matched up with Aaron Ekblad to start training camp, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

The duo will likely open the regular season together as the Panthers' top defensive pairing. Weegar was hampered by a variety of injuries last season -- only managing to play 45 games -- but made the most of the opportunities by setting career highs with seven goals and 18 points.

Weegar inked a three-year, $9.75 million deal with Florida on Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Weegar saw a huge uptick in ice time last season, as he averaged over 20 minutes per game for the first time in his three-year NHL career. The defender's offensive ceiling remains in the 20-25 point range, which is in part due to his lack of power-play opportunities, but his defensive capabilities could bolster Aaron Ekblad's numbers by allowing him to jump into the play more often.

Weegar (undisclosed) joined his teammates for Thursday's practice session, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Weegar sat out the team's exhibition against the Lightning but seems to be all set to play in Game 1 against the Islanders on Saturday. The blueliner managed six points in his previous 17 contests and likely won't factor much into the power play, which makes him a mid-range fantasy option, at best.

Weegar (undisclosed) isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's exhibition game against the Lightning, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

It isn't clear why Weegar isn't participating Wednesday, but at this point there's no reason to believe he's in danger of missing Saturday's Game 1 against the Islanders. The 26-year-old defenseman picked up 18 points in 45 games during the regular season.

Weegar scored an empty-net goal and dished an assist in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Ducks.

Wednesday was just the third multi-point outing of the year for Weegar. He added five shots on net and four hits in the contest. The 26-year-old is at a career-high 16 points, 61 shots and 62 hits through 36 appearances this season, but he's not likely to interest fantasy owners outside of deep formats.

Weegar (upper body) will skate on Florida's third defensive pairing Saturday against Pittsburgh, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Weegar will give it a go Saturday, but his ice time could be watched closely considering the nagging nature of his injury. Healthy or not, the defenseman hasn't been all that effective from a fantasy standpoint in 2019-20, only managing 12 points in 29 appearances this season.

Weegar (upper body) may play Saturday against the Penguins, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Weegar was originally ruled out, but head coach Joel Quenneville said the defenseman has a chance to play in the Eastern Conference clash. The 26-year-old returned from a 15-game absence Feb. 4 but was unavailable Thursday, so this injury is clearly nagging him. Weegar can be considered a game-time decision.

Weegar will miss Saturday's clash with the Penguins due to the same upper-body injury that sidelined him previously, George Richards of The Athletic reports.

Weegar evidently returned too soon from his upper-body injury when he played in Tuesday's tilt versus Columbus. The team didn't provide an immediate update on the blueliner's timeline, so fantasy owners should consider him day-to-day for the time being.

Weegar missed Thursday's game against Vegas due to an illness, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Weegar returned Tuesday after he missed 15 straight games with an upper-body issue and is now looking at missing more time. It's unclear how serious the illness is going forward, but expect the team to comment on the 26-year-old's status ahead of Saturday's game against the Penguins.

Weegar (upper body) was activated from IR and will play Tuesday versus the Blue Jackets, George Richards of The Athletic reports.

Weegar will make his first appearance since Dec. 23, and he should immediately draw into the top four. The 26-year-old blueliner has modest offensive upside with 12 points and 46 shots over 28 games, but he doesn't work on the power play.

Weegar (upper body) is unlikely to return before the All-Star break, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

After a Jan. 21 matchup in Chicago, the Panthers are off until February, giving Weegar some extra time to heal up. He's missed the last eight games and hasn't played since Dec. 23. The 26-year-old blueliner has 12 points in 28 games on the season. Riley Stillman should continue playing in his absence.

Weegar (upper body) won't play Thursday against Vancouver, NHL.com's Alain Poupart reports.

Weegar will miss an eighth straight game Thursday, but he returned to practice in a non-contact jersey Wednesday, so he's definitely making progress in his recovery. The 26-year-old blueliner will be reevaluated ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Maple Leafs.

Weegar (upper body) isn't expected to play Tuesday against Arizona, Jameson Olive of the Panthers' official site reports.

Weegar will miss a seventh straight game Tuesday and remains without a definite timetable for his return to the lineup. Once healthy, the 26-year-old, who's notched 12 points in 28 games this campaign, should return to a top-four role and a spot on the Panthers' penalty-killing unit.

Weegar (upper body) won't play in Sunday's road game versus Pittsburgh, Steve Goldstein of Fox Sports Florida reports.

Weegar will miss his sixth straight game, and it's still unclear when he'll return to the lineup. His next chance will be when the Panthers return home Tuesday to face the Coyotes.

Weegar (upper body) won't play in Saturday's game against the Sabres, per the NHL's official media site.

Weegar will miss his fifth straight game, so Aaron Ekblad and Keith Yandle will man the top pairing. The 25-year-old Weegar's next chance to play is Sunday's road game versus Pittsburgh.

Weegar (upper body) won't suit up in Thursday's game against the Senators, per the NHL's official media site.

Weegar continues to miss time while dealing with an upper-body issue and is still without a solidified return date. His next chance to suit up will be on the road against Buffalo.