When looking at which opportunities are still out there for the Bruins to improve their roster, you can now cross MacKenzie Weegar off the list.
The Florida Panthers have re-signed the 26-year-old defenseman to a three-year deal with an average annual value of $3.25 million, according to Elliotte Friedman.
Weegar was a restricted free agent this offseason, but his name had consistently popped up in trade rumors as it seemed the two sides might not reach an agreement. He could have been used to land the Panthers some forward help after losing Evgenii Dadonov to the Senators and presumably Mike Hoffman, who is still a free agent.
The Bruins were reportedly one of the teams that had shown interest in acquiring Weegar.
Few players have been able to find the kind of money they were hoping for given the league's depressed financial situation this offseason, and $3.25 million per year certainly seems like a bargain for Weegar given how well he played in a top-pairing role alongside Aaron Ekblad last season.
Had the Bruins been able to acquire Weegar for a reasonable trade package and sign him to a similar deal, it would've been nice value. But the Panthers also would've been foolish to let him leave for that price unless they were getting a premium return.
Things have quieted down significantly as it relates to Bruins rumors. They still have to sign restricted free agent Jake DeBrusk, or trade him. Longtime captain Zdeno Chara is still a free agent as well, and presumably could be brought back as a fairly cheap security blanket on the blue line.
It's possible the Bruins wind up not doing much of anything beyond that.
