The Calgary Flames dominated the NHL news cycle for much of Tuesday, acquiring Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils in a pre-Draft blockbuster. Just 24 hours later, the team is back making waves in the pond with breaking news from one of the NHL’s top insiders, Darren Dreger, who says the club is actively shopping Connor Zary.
Instead of holding on to the 24-year-old center, it appears General Manager Craig Conroy is actively seeking trade options for Zary, who is two seasons away from hitting free agency at 26.
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Initially drafted 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Zary has yet to reach 20 goals in a season, with a career high of 14 in 2023-24, dropping to 13 and 12 over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, he was plus-12 in his rookie season, and is now a minus player with seasons of minus-7 and minus-4.
A significant injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign, limiting him to only 54 games and 27 points. However, Zary was most likely going to post his best totals that year, but fate had other plans. Ultimately, that time off led to a slow start in 2025-26 with only two goals and four points in his first 25 games.
Between the start of January and the end of the season, Zary only collected six goals and 12 points in 36 games to finish the year.
As shocking as it is to hear that Conroy is actively shopping his young center, many amongst the fanbase have taken to social media to say they support the decision, hoping Zary can reach his potential with a fresh start somewhere else.
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