We’re nearing the end of July, and the Calgary Flames have yet to work out a contract extension with Connor Zary. That isn’t particularly unusual or worrisome, as training camp doesn’t begin until September, while the regular season doesn’t get underway until October.
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What makes it more troublesome, however, is the fact that the Flames have worked out deals with several other restricted free agents (RFAs) in Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Adam Klapka, Kevin Bahl, Rory Kerins, Yan Kuznetsov, and Jeremie Poirier. The fact that they seemingly wanted to get the deals mentioned above out of the way quickly, but have yet to sign Zary, suggests there may be a snag between the two parties.
Zary a Difficult Player to Project
Zary by no means has ever been considered a can’t-miss prospect, but he has been an intriguing one ever since entering the Flames organization. Being selected 24th overall in the 2020 Draft suggested that he had the potential to become an impactful NHLer, though players selected that late in the first round are by no means a guarantee to turn out.
Red flags around Zary started popping up in the 2021-22 season, where, in his first year as a pro, he had just 13 goals and 25 points in 53 American Hockey League (AHL) games. All worries were pushed to the side the following season, however, as he had a much more impressive 21 goals and 58 points in 71 outings.
Zary wound up appearing in 63 NHL games the following season and had a respectable 14 goals and 34 points. It seemed as though he had some offensive potential to develop into a top-six forward, while his strong defensive presence indicated that, at the very least, he would be a solid third-line player for years to come.
Zary’s second season started out strong, though two knee injuries limited him to just 54 games. They also seemed to limit his effectiveness, and by the time the 2024-25 campaign had wrapped up, he had very similar production to the season prior with 13 goals and 27 points. Yet again, it left fans thinking he has offensive potential, though it’s yet to come to the forefront.
That is what makes giving Zary a long-term deal so tricky. The 23-year-old would certainly prefer a long-term deal, though he would want one that properly compensates him for years to come, especially with the salary cap going up. The Flames were willing to do that with Coronato, though his 24-goal season proved that he is going to be a very good offensive player for years to come. To this point, Zary has yet to show that ceiling.
Due to some injury concerns and the unknown of what type of player Zary will become, the Flames’ best decision here would be to sign the young forward to a bridge deal. The issue, however, is that it doesn’t seem like Zary is eager to sign such a contract, as it almost certainly would have been inked by now otherwise. While he could still agree to a short-term contract between now and training camp, not getting a long-term contract like Coronato’s could leave a sour taste in his mouth.
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That is why this entire situation is somewhat troubling if you’re a Flames fan. First off, the fact a contract hasn’t been signed when all the other deals mentioned above have been, suggests that there may be some tension between the two sides. That could result in a holdout to begin the 2025-26 season. If, instead, they are able to work out a short-term deal, Zary’s future in Calgary could still be in jeopardy should he hold bitter feelings over not getting the long-term contract that Coronato recently did. It’s a situation to monitor for Flames fans, and one that will only get more stressful as each day passes.
