Considering the Calgary Flames have slept through most of NHL free agency, fans want to at least see general manager Craig Conroy lock up the team's young players and solidify a promising future. Kevin Bahl, Martin Pospisil, Morgan Frost and Adam Klapka have all inked new deals, but the team has yet to cross off a very important name on the list. With preseason play beginning in only a month and a half, Connor Zary remains unsigned.
The Flames and their restricted free agent are still not seeing eye to eye in contract talks, according to Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco. Zary is seeking an average annual value of approximately $4.5 million, while Calgary is keen on forking over $3.5 million. Given the key role the 23-year-old center will presumably occupy for this franchise in the years to come, a resolution seems likely. Who will cave first, though?
Di Marco is looking to Philadelphia Flyers right winger Tyson Foerster as a frame of reference for these negotiations — signed a two-year deal with a $3.75 million AAV. Obviously, fans would feel much better if the two sides could agree to a longer-term commitment. After narrowly missing out on a Stanley Cup Playoffs berth last season, the city wants the focus to rest squarely on ending a three-year drought.
Perhaps a happy Connor Zary can increase the chances of that happening. The No. 24 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has logged only 117 games with Calgary, but he has shown flashes of the ample potential that first caught the organization's attention. Zary tallied 13 goals and 14 assists in 54 games in 2024-25, missing almost 30 games due to multiple knee injuries.
If he can stay healthy, the 23-year-old native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan could be poised for a true breakthrough during the 2025-26 campaign. But first, he has to put pen to paper. The Flames and Zary are hopefully operating with a sense of urgency, because the new season will be here before they know it.
