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MacKenzie Weegar, Calgary Flames (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Flames News & Rumors: Weegar, Farabee, Zary & More

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Mar 23, 2025 7:28 PM ET

In this edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumors, both MacKenzie Weegar and Joel Farabee were unable to suit up on Saturday afternoon versus the New York Islanders. Meanwhile, Connor Zary admitted that his untimely suspension versus the Vancouver Canucks was a big mistake. Last but not least, the Flames are going to need much more from Yegor Sharangovich to close out the 2024-25 season.

Weegar & Farabee Miss Saturday’s Game

The Flames have already been without Mikael Backlund for the last stretch of games, which made it all the worse when it was announced shortly before Saturday’s puck drop that MacKenzie Weegar and Joel Farabee would both be out of the lineup versus the Islanders. The Flames were able to dig deep, however, and wound up picking up a big two points with a 4-3 overtime win.

The good news for the Flames is that they have since announced that Weegar is expected to be back on Tuesday. The 31-year-old is having another impressive season with seven goals and 41 points as he continues to thrive as the Flames’ number-one defenceman.

As for Farabee, it doesn’t sound as though there is anything to worry about moving forward, as the 25-year-old sat out due to illness. Sometimes these things can linger, but at this point, it sounds like he will suit up on Tuesday night as well. He’s been rather quiet with the Flames thus far, scoring three goals and five points in 18 outings.

Zary Owns Up to Suspension

The Flames were put in a tough spot following last week’s game versus the Canucks, where Zary wound up being assessed a two-game suspension for a dirty hit on defenceman Elias Pettersson. The 23-year-old admitted he needs to be smarter in terms of discipline going forward.

“At the end of the day, you’ve just got to own it,” Zary said. “I went in there, I made a mistake. I have no intention of wanting to go out there and hurt someone, that’s definitely not my game. I made a mistake, I had to live with it, own up to it. I’ll move on from there and make sure I’m not doing something like that again to take myself out of the lineup.”

Zary was having a very solid second season with the Flames prior to suffering a knee injury in January. It’s taken some time for him to get readjusted since rejoining the team, though it appears like he’s been getting more comfortable as of late. Through 52 games this season he’s scored 13 goals and 26 points.

Sharangovich’s Struggles Continuing

Sharangovich’s struggles have been well-documented this season. The 26-year-old had plenty of expectations thrust upon him after a career-high 31 goals and 59 points in 2023-24. Those expectations only amplified after he agreed to a five-year, $28.75 million extension over the summer.

Yegor Sharangovich, Calgary Flames (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Sharangovich’s numbers have taken a dramatic fall this season, as he’s managed only 12 goals and 24 points through 61 outings. There has been some speculation that he may be battling an injury, which would explain why he’s been so hesitant to shoot the puck as of late. Either way, this team needs him to pick things back up in order to leapfrog the St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card position in the Western Conference.

Looking Ahead for the Flames

The Flames were able to wrap up an impressive four-game road trip which saw them take six of eight points. They will now have a few days off before a mini two-game home stretch, the first of which will come on Tuesday versus the Seattle Kraken. After that will be the Dallas Stars on Thursday before they head back on the road to face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.