Calgary Flames have concerns over long-term extension with Zary: report
The Calgary Flames may prefer to sign pending RFA Connor Zary to a bridge deal rather than a long-term extension.
The Flames were recently able to work out a deal with another upcoming RFA in Matt Coronato, who they signed to a seven-year, $45.5 million deal. Many expected that after going long term with Coronato, management may look to sign Zary to similar deal, though that may not be the case.
As per a recent report from Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, the Flames brass would prefer to sign Zary to a bridge deal. They are said to have concerns when it comes to signing the 23-year-old, which include two knee injuries suffered this past season.
“Coming off of a relatively underwhelming 27 points in 54 games, there is still uncertainty whether Zary is going to be a center at the NHL level,” Di Marco wrote. “There is also internal concern over all the injuries that Zary has dealt with, making more sense for the team to avoid a long term commitment.”
Di Marco also noted that the Flames are hoping to sign Zary to a deal that would carry a cap hit of roughly $3 million. He’s coming off a season which saw him record 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games.
While Zary has already shown plenty of signs through his first two NHL seasons that he will be a very impactful player for years to come, there is certainly reason to understand why management has their concerns. The young forward suffered two scary injuries to the same knee in 2024-25, which resulted in him missing 28 games.
Connor Zary goes knee on knee with Drew Helleson.
Zary had to be helped off the ice.
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While there is no immediate rush for the Flames to get Zary signed, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see the two parties agree to a short-term deal, rather than a contract similar to what Coronato recently signed.