Quoting: Newtown
I ‘ve seen him struggle plenty especially in big games. He’s not a guy I would pay $6.25 or rely on. We can disagree on this. On the flames I think he’s probably 4th best behind Anderson who’s more consistent and better offensively. Hanifin who while somewhat inconsistent like Weager handles tough matchups better, and Tanev who is very good but can’t stay healthy.
Let’s put it this way, if Weager played consistently at the top of his game I would agree with you but he isn’t consistent and sometimes fails to show up when it matters. That said he was very very good to finish the year. Perhaps the slow start was him adjusting to a new team, coach etc.
You're putting a lot of weight on his 'inconsistencies' (that for all we know, are just your opinion). If he was as inconsistent as you preach, his metrics wouldn't be as good as they were.
You're also not using context. He moved to a completely new system and had to play a season under Daryl Sutter. And STILL, ranked in the 99th percentile among other defenseman in similar roles for defensive impact. (Yes, he is one of the leagues top DFD's).
He actually played a more difficult role than each of Hanifin, Andersson and Tanev, and had a far greater defensive impact as well. To say he's "the 4th best" would be stretching the narrative beyond recognition.
Again, his term length is a question mark, but the cap will have risen much higher by the time it would become a problem. He's 29, not 34.