CALGARY — MacKenzie Weegar is no longer one of the names scribbled on bar napkins around the nation, projecting Canada’s Olympic roster.
Fans are aware of his team’s early struggles, and Weegar's own low productivity, and they assume he’s no longer in the mix for one of the eight defensive spots that were theoretically up for grabs when he attended Canada’s orientation camp.
Fair.
But don’t expect him to throw in the towel on his five-ring dreams.
“There are a lot of good players playing a lot of good hockey right now, so it's one of those things where I don't blame (fans) for not having me on their list,” said Weegar, citing Matthew Schaefer and Jakob Chychrun as two good examples.
“But I’ve got a month left here to see what I can do to try to get my name on the list again, and make those credible ones talk about me a little bit more.”
For a long-shot whose best chance at making the team stemmed from his versatility and ability to play on either side, the fact that the 31-year-old righty has just one goal, four assists and sits a league-low minus-21 certainly hasn’t helped his cause.
A deeper dive into his stats paints a better picture.
His selflessness and physicality have him on a short list of just two NHLers in the 50/50 club with 75 hits and 58 blocked shots.
He leads the NHL in three more obscure categories, with 300 defensive plays, 844 loose puck recoveries and 189 blocked passes.
No one has absorbed more hits than Weegar’s 72, and only one player averages more shifts per game.
And he’s done it all with a rotating cast of characters by his side, making chemistry a constant work in progress.
“I pride myself on the defensive game right now, and I think I'm playing pretty solid,” said Weegar, who had been plus-110 over the previous six years, making this year’s total so surprising.
“When I look at the games there have definitely been some tough moments, but I don’t feel like I've been terrible, or I'm having a tough season. I still feel good about my game. I think structurally, there can be breakdowns in the game, and I think I've just been on some tough sides of it sometimes.
“Sometimes it's just the way it goes, and if you start thinking about that stuff, it's a slippery slope. It can get out of hand really fast. You’ve got to be optimistic, because at some point, if you feel good about your game, it's gonna turn around for you.”
Of late, Weegar seems to have found a steady partner in Yan Kuznetsov — a defensively sound rookie who should allow Weegar a chance to do more offensively on a team that desperately needs it.
Both scored their first goals of the season in Florida last week, which Weegar saw as a sign of things to come.
No, he won’t be returning to 20-goal form like he had two years ago.
Not this year, anyway.
“I think that one was a lucky year,” he smiled of a 20-goal, 52-point campaign.
“I'm just trying to get pucks towards the net right now, and trying to find a bounce to kind of springboard me to getting the confidence going again in the shooting department.
“That offensive area has been a bit tough, so I just try to put myself in better positions to score. I'm trying to follow Ras(mus Andersson), who has been great. I'm honestly watching him every night and trying to mirror him, and see if I can get a bounce or two.”
His goal last week came on his 52nd shot on goal of the year, symbolizing just how hard it has been for him to catch a break.
In Saturday’s 2-0 win over Utah, Weegar led all players with four shots and had a game-high five blocks, which included one on a Nick Schmaltz shot with six minutes left that earned a pat from Dustin Wolf.
Beloved in his dressing room, he’s widely believed to be the next captain of his club.
The cornerstones of everyone’s Olympic list include Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Morrissey and Shea Theodore.
The next four aren’t as easy to confirm, although it will be tough to knock off anyone from the 4 Nations roster.
Drew Doughty returned from a foot injury Thursday, 4 Nations fill-in Thomas Harley has had a tough year when not injured, Travis Sanheim is still logging heavy, tough minutes, and Colton Parayko is a trusted leader in St. Louis where Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong sees him every day.
Tough group to crack, even if Weegar was having a banner start.
The ups and downs of Evan Bouchard’s game have become a national debate, Noah Dobson has been solid in Montreal, Schaefer has taken the league by storm at 18, Brandon Montour is on the radar, and Chychrun is already halfway to his 20-goal total of a year ago.
Asked before his game in Tampa last week if he was conscious of the fact he was playing against Team Canada coach Jon Cooper, he smiled.
“I wouldn't say it's too much on my mind, because I just want to control what I can control,” said Weegar, who played just under his season average of 23:44 Saturday.
“But I think if it wasn’t on my mind, I think that would be a bigger issue.”
