GM Craig Conroy confident Flames will get Connor Zary signed: 'Just a matter of when'

National Post

31-07-2025

The Calgary Flames are confident that they'll be able to get a deal done with Connor Zary this summer.
Article content
The Flames have been in back-and-forth negotiations with the restricted free agent and his representatives for a couple months now, with reports indicating they'd prefer to sign the 23-year-old to a shorter-term bridge deal and the player ideally wanting something longer.
Article content
As of this week, though, the wait continues.
Article content
'We're talking. It's been slow, though,' Flames GM Craig Conroy said Wednesday, shortly after it was announced that Martin Pospisil had been signed to a three-year extension. 'Even with Pospisil, there comes a point where it heats up and you think 'Now we're close' and then you're able to get it done really quick. Pospisil was probably two, three months we were talking with (agent Dan Millstein).'
Article content
Getting Zary signed is the biggest piece of business the Flames have left to get done before training camp starts. Trading Rasmus Andersson or getting Dustin Wolf signed to an early extension might wind up being bigger if they happen, but there's no real, immediate urgency on either front.
Article content
But they need to get a deal done with Zary before training camp and he represents an interesting dilemma.
Article content
Picked 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Zary has shown flashes of exciting talent and has an ability to create while driving full-speed on the rush that few other players on the Flames roster can match. From Dec. 1 until Jan. 5 of this past season, he put up 10 points in 14 games while only Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau managed more over that stretch with the Flames.
Article content
Article content
That suggests he has it in him to be an offensive driver over the next few seasons, but on Jan. 7, he suffered a tough knee injury against the Anaheim Ducks that took him out of the lineup for six weeks. He then had another knee injury on March 27 that ended his season.
Article content
Article content
Both were freak injuries and were not the result of any wrongdoing on Zary's part, but they limited him to 54 games this season and he wound up scoring 13 goals and adding 14 assists.
Article content
'With Zary, everybody takes his own time,' Conroy said. 'He's a huge priority for us and we're going to get it done, it's just a matter of when. I know everybody wants it done tomorrow and probably he does, too, and so do we, but both sides kind of have to come to an agreement where we both feel comfortable.'
Article content