The Calgary Flames have given one of their young players a new deal. News emerged that the Flames have signed restricted free agent centre Connor Zary to a contract extension. The deal is for three years and totals $11.325 million. It runs through to the end of the 2027-28 season.
Calgary Flames Give Connor Zary a Contract Extension
Zary has only played for the Flames in his two-year NHL career. The 23-year-old netted 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 54 games this campaign. He did miss a part of the season due to some injury troubles.
The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native averaged 16 minutes and four seconds of ice time this season. He had a Corsi for of 57.3 and a relative Corsi of 7.8.
The young centre has 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points in 117 career games. Calgary originally drafted him in the first round, 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
He had a standout career at the major junior level with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. Zary has represented his native Canada at the international level. He was part of the silver-medal winning squad at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships.
What It Means
Zary now gets to continue to play with the Flames and establish himself in the lineup. Plus the timing allows for no distractions heading into training camp. The Flames have gone through some lineup changes in the last couple seasons. However, Zary seems to figure into the team’s plans at least for the near future.
Injuries did hamper Zary’s season, as it seemed he was going to eclipse his career-best 14 goals in his rookie campaign. However, there’s a case for him to get an extended look at one of the centre spots. Flames fans are wondering if he can be a difference-maker in the middle of this young lineup. This deal will give him a chance to prove that.
Main photo by: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
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