Not that we had one before that either lol.
I think there's way too much talk about this (especially by the media North of the border who traditionally aren't well connected to the Panthers), considering the only thing we know is that Weegar's agent filed for salary arbitration. Plenty of RFAs file for that every offseason and don't end up getting traded.
Weegar's agent could be trying to put pressure on Zito to get a longer contract done before the hearing, where he'll be awarded a 1 year contract and risk walking to UFA next year. Maybe for whatever reason, he doesn't want to sign longer than 1 year and intends to test the market next year.
Zito could be thinking between value now, value at the deadline, or Weegar as our own "rental" for the season. It's a tough call, but if you have an idea that Weegar isn't planning to stick around, this is a good time to find a replacement, especially at these prices for guys with term and money. Also how does Zito see Weegar? Is he a legit top pairing/top4 complementary guy to Ekblad, or someone who's just playing there because we didn't have a better fit available? Are his injury issues a concern, or something worth taking the risk?
Whatever it is, if Zito is truly shopping Weegar, he surely has his reasons and a plan in place to replace Weegar.