Flames, Connor Zary Finalize 3-Year Bridge Contract Extension

According to Elliotte Friedman, “Hearing Connor Zary and the Calgary Flames are closing in on a three-year extension at just under $3.8M.” Friedman later updated his report to note that the two sides did finalize a deal. The exact AAV was $3.775.

Projected as a second-line scoring winger who likes to shoot from distance, Zary is also willing to crash the net and forecheck hard. There is some belief that he could be a 50+ point player, with his previous high being 34 points in 2023-24. He had 13 goals and 27 points last season in 54 games. While he’s not shown it consistently, he has top-six potential.

A bridge deal offers benefits for both sides. The Flames keep cost control and time to assess his long-term fit, while Zary gains flexibility to prove himself before what he hopes is a bigger payday. His first season showed promise but was interrupted by unlucky injuries, including a knee-on-knee hit in Anaheim and a fall in Dallas.

By betting on a short-term contract, Zary is hoping that a healthy season will bring with it more consistency and set him up for a significant raise in three years. With the salary cap projected to take a sizeable jump, it’s not a bad play.

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