Calgary Flames News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Flames' Connor Zary clears waivers

Originally posted on The Win Column | Last updated Oct 6, 2026 4:42 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Connor Zary has cleared waivers and is eligible to be sent down to the AHL Calgary Wranglers. No NHL team claimed him despite him being placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames yesterday.

It is an interesting wrinkle in the career of someone who once looked destined to be part of a young crop of players who’d usher in a bright future for the rebuilding Flames. But not anymore. For the Flames, they are moving forward without someone whose position on the team has slipped. For Zary, this is a chance to rekindle his stalled career.

A promising start that fizzled

Zary was the 24th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. After a couple of seasons in the AHL, he graduated to the big club in 2023–24. It was an exciting debut season. He was put on a productive line with Nazem Kadri and fellow rookie Martin Pospisil. He showed tantalizing skill and scored 34 points in 63 games.

Then came stagnation.

His second season was hampered by two separate knee injuries which kept him to just 54 games and 27 points. That summer brought a contentious contract negotiation that dragged on until right before the start of training camp.

Injury trouble followed him last season when he was hit from behind by A.J. Greer of the Florida Panthers. His point totals dropped to just 25.

His exit interview to close the 2025–26 season had a tone of frustration:

“When you have younger guys with talent and skill, you don’t want to hold them back. You don’t want to put a leash on them… who gives a shit if they make a mistake? It’s going to happen.”

On June 24, NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that Flames General Manager Craig Conroy was shopping Zary on the trade market. The asking price was a second-round draft pick. But none of the other NHL teams were interested.

Then, it was summer break. Time to chill, go to the beach, unwind and then regroup.

A fresh new season means a fresh new start. Right?

One disastrous week

The opening three games of this season have been atrocious for the Flames, who’ve lost them all while being outscored 16–3.

In Game 1, the entire team played horribly, so to spotlight Zary seems arbitrary. In fact, Zary finished even in plus/minus and a game score of 1.15 to 1.30 despite it being a 6–1 loss. However, the eye test shows someone disengaged. Take the first goal against, where he was very weak on the puck:

Berkley Catton opens the scoring for the Kraken.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/cJDcb5AXHh
— Robert Munnich (@Robert_Munnich) October 5, 2026

“Who gives a shit if [younger players] make a mistake?” Well, NHL coaches do. Speaking postgame, head coach Ryan Huska said:

“We have guys trying to force things that aren’t there—trying to beat guys one-on-two or one-on-three at the blueline instead of making the smart depth play. When you go off-script like that, it breaks down our entire structure.”

While Zary wasn’t named, most suspect it was about him being referred to, and the evidence came Saturday morning when he was healthy scratched for Game 2.

For Game Three, he was back in but showed none of the passion of someone looking to cement their position in the lineup.

Rumours are he’s also checked out of the ice:

This is the ballsy move some have wanted Conny and co to make. Unfortunately Zary was told this was a year he needed to step up, hiding behind his agent and showing up late to events and team activities is not a way to drag yourself if ur mad about not being moved in offszn…. https://t.co/9QHnOQASj0
— DSB (@DSB_hockey) October 5, 2026

The writing was on the wall.

Conroy wants players who want to be here

Craig Conroy has turned over a lot of players in the midst of this rebuild. Among them, he shipped out those who refused extensions (Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin), demanded trades (Nikita Zadorov, Jacob Markstrom), or clearly started to phone it in (Elias Lindholm).

He is trying to assemble a crop of young players who’ll grow and bond together and play for each other. For that to occur, a top priority must be everyone wanting to play here in the city of Calgary.

So, back to that June trade talk. What do you do with a player who wants out but nobody wants to trade for him? And any plans to rebuild that player’s value look futile? You, reluctantly, put them on waivers.

What now for Zary?

Time in the AHL could be just what the doctor ordered. It’s a chance to get some swagger back and find his scoring touch against easier competition. Whether a rekindled Zary eventually returns to the Flames is a mystery.

One possibility is that, now that he’s cleared waivers, a team will trade for him and place him in their farm system. This gives the team a chance to rehabilitate him while saving the cap space.

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

More must-reads: