Flames Risk Losing Connor Zary as Contract Talks Stall
If you're a Calgary Flames fan, it's time to start paying close attention to what's happening — or rather, not happening — with Connor Zary. We’re heading into the tail end of July, and the Flames still haven’t locked down Zary with a new deal. On the surface, that might not sound the alarm. After all, training camp doesn’t start until September, and the regular season is even further off. But when you take a closer look, there’s real reason to be concerned.
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Here's the thing: the Flames have already taken care of business with a whole group of their restricted free agents. Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Adam Klapka, Kevin Bahl, Rory Kerins, Yan Kuznetsov, and Jeremie Poirier — all signed. Zary? Still unsigned. That discrepancy is telling. It signals that negotiations with Zary may not be progressing smoothly, and that both sides are likely not seeing eye-to-eye.
Zary is a unique case. He’s not the kind of prospect that was ever considered a guaranteed NHL star, but he’s always had intriguing upside. Drafted 24th overall in 2020, he had a rocky start in the AHL, but bounced back impressively. He earned his NHL spot and showed promise with 14 goals and 34 points in his first full season. Then came the injuries — two knee issues last season that limited him to 54 games. His production dipped slightly, but still stayed in the same ballpark.
The challenge here is that Zary clearly wants a long-term deal. He wants security and a paycheck that reflects what he believes he can become, especially now that the NHL salary cap is rising. But from the Flames’ perspective, that might be too big a gamble. They seem more inclined to offer a short-term bridge deal — something that would give them more time to see exactly what kind of player Zary is turning into.
And here's where the tension seems to lie. If Zary was open to that kind of deal, we’d likely already see a contract signed. The fact that we don’t suggests Zary is holding out for something more substantial. That’s not just a financial tug-of-war — it can lead to deeper issues. If this stalemate continues, we could be looking at a holdout situation when the season starts. And even if they hammer out a short-term agreement before then, the lack of long-term commitment could plant some resentment. That’s the kind of friction that can lead to future trade requests or a player walking when their deal is up.
So yeah, Flames fans — this isn’t just another offseason delay. This is a situation that could have long-term consequences for the team. Zary still has the potential to be a valuable piece of Calgary’s future, but if this contract dispute gets any uglier, that future might unfold somewhere else. Keep your eyes on this one — it’s not going away anytime soon.
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