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

Flames News & Rumors: Weegar, Vladar, Kerins & More

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Jan 29, 2025 6:10 PM ET

In this edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumours, an injury to Alex Pietrangelo could result in MacKenzie Weegar stepping up and patrolling the blue line for Team Canada at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. In other news, head coach Ryan Huska voiced his displeasure with goalie Dan Vladar following a 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. Last, but not least, the Flames re-assigned Rory Kerins to the American Hockey League (AHL) and have since recalled both Adam Klapka and Tyson Barrie.

Weegar Open for 4 Nations Invite

Before the 4 Nations Face-Off rosters were released, there was plenty of debate in Calgary as to whether Weegar would make the team. He wound up falling short, as Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Shea Theodore, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, and of course Pietrangelo, were the seven defencemen taken.

Another blueliner will be added, however, as Pietrangelo recently withdrew from the tournament due to a nagging injury he is going to rest over the break. It may very well end up being Weegar who gets the call, and if that does come, he’s more than open to joining them.

“I’ve got a great vacation down in Mexico that I’m willing to cancel at any time,” Weegar said following Tuesday’s morning skate. “I’ll be ready. I’m confident in my abilities to help out the country. You hate to see a big dog like Petro go down, he’s huge for the country. Whoever they pick to replace [him] is going to do a great job, no doubt, but I’m confident in my abilities to help my country out.”

Weegar has been a horse for the Flames this season, averaging north of 23 minutes of ice time per game. He’s suited up for 49 contests in 2024-25, scoring six goals and adding 19 helpers. The season prior, he hit career highs offensively with 20 goals and 52 points.

Huska Not Thrilled with Vladar’s Latest Performance

Following a big 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night, Vladar had the difficult task of playing the second half of a back-to-back versus one of the NHL’s best in the Jets. It didn’t go the way he had hoped, as he allowed five goals on 27 shots in what ended as a 5-2 loss. Afterward, his head coach didn’t mince words on how he felt the 27-year-old played.

“I actually thought we played a pretty good road game. There were certain situations where I felt like we could’ve used a save tonight, which isn’t something we’ve said a lot this year,” Huska said. “When we made a few mistakes, they were able to capitalize … We just weren’t able to keep [pucks] out of our net like we needed to tonight.”

Vladar has now lost six games in a row, dropping his record to 6-10-5 on the season. He’s sporting a 3.12 goals against average (GAA) along with a .886 save percentage (SV%), numbers that make it clear as to why rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf has taken over the number-one role for the Flames.

Kerins Down, Klapka & Barrie Up

Despite registering four assists through his first five career NHL games, the Flames made the decision to re-assign Kerins to the Calgary Wranglers this past weekend. The 22-year-old, who was called up roughly two weeks prior, had sat out the last two games as a healthy scratch.

Rory Kerins, Calgary Wranglers (Jonathan Kozub / Manitoba Moose)

Coming up for Kerins is Klapka, who has appeared in six games with the Flames this season. While he has yet to get on the board with the Flames, he’s having a strong season statistically in the AHL with 25 points through 29 outings.

Also being recalled was Tyson Barrie, who was recently sent to the Wranglers on a conditioning stint. The veteran defenceman, who hadn’t been in the Flames lineup since November, registered a goal and two assists in two games in what was his first AHL stint since the 2013-14 season. The stint seemed to help build confidence in his game, as he had an assist in last night’s 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.

Looking Ahead for the Flames

The Flames have three games remaining this week, the first of which will come on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks. They will then face the Detroit Red Wings at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday, before taking a trip to Seattle to play the Kraken on Sunday.