Another restricted free agent can be taken off the board.
It's been a long wait for everyone involved, but RFA forward Connor Zary and the Calgary Flames have reportedly come to terms on a contract extension with training camp just around the corner.
Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman first broke the news on X (formerly Twitter) with what he was hearing regarding the terms of the deal.
"Hearing Connor Zary and the Calgary Flames are closing in on a three-year extension at just under $3.8M," Friedman wrote.
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
Sportsnet's Eric Francis has since confirmed the contract to be a three-year, $11.325 million deal, putting the average annual salary at $3.775 million.
Zary earns a nice raise, having just played out the final season of his three-year, $2,590,002 entry-level contract with the Flames.
The 23-year-old was productive in limited action last season, producing 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in just 54 games, and will look to build on it moving forward.
Calgary continues to lock up its young core
Connor Zary's extension marks the fourth longer-term contract that general manager Craig Conroy has handed out to younger pieces on the Flames this offseason.
First, it was winger Matt Coronato, then defenseman Kevin Bahl, followed by forward Martin Pospisil in late July, and now Zary in early September. It's a good sign for the Flames, who we know have had trouble retaining some of their own players in the past.
Next on the docket is star goaltender Dustin Wolf, who is a pending RFA that will enter the final year of his entry-level contract in 2025-26. Wolf himself has already mentioned that talks have begun, as well as his desire to stay.
Conroy will certainly want to lock him in for the long term sooner rather than later as they continue to build their new young nucleus in Calgary.