Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Calgary Flames, Connor Zary agree to three-year contract extension

Originally posted on The Win Column | By Joshua Serafini | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 6:37 PM ET

Better late than never right? As was reported earlier this week, the Flames and Connor Zary were closing in on a three-year contract to get the 23-year-old signed before training camp. It looks like those reports were true, as Elliotte Friedman has reported the Flames and Zary are putting the final touches on a three-year, $11.325M extension. The deal represents an AAV right around $3.775M per year.

Hearing Connor Zary and the Calgary Flames are closing in on a three-year extension at just under $3.8M
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 5, 2025

No surprises

After an excruciatingly long wait to get a deal done, Zary’s contract comes in pretty much right around what we all expected. At three years and a touch under $3.8M AAV, the Flames were able to get Zary signed to the deal they likely wanted from the very beginning. It looks like Craig Conroy’s patience paid off.

Zary’s AAV is virtually identical to fellow 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster, who signed a two-year $7.5M pact earlier this summer. Foerster was always the obvious comparable for Zary, given his age and production, and the Flames were able to get one more year out of the deal as the cherry on top.

A win for both sides

With a bridge deal officially signed and Zary tied to Calgary until he’s 27 years old, it’s now up to Zary to prove he deserves a long-term extension next time around. All in all, this deal is a big win for both sides. The Flames keep one of their most talented young forwards around for another three years at an incredibly affordable AAV, while Zary now gets the chance to prove he’s a core part of the Flames’ future and sign a new deal while still in his prime.

This article first appeared on The Win Column and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: