Flames place forward Connor Zary on waivers after winless start
The 25-year-old former first-round pick is available to any team until Tuesday's deadline after a difficult start to the season.
CALGARY — The Calgary Flames have placed forward Connor Zary on waivers, making him available to any NHL team until Tuesday's deadline.
The move comes after a difficult start to the 2026-27 season for both Zary and the Flames, who are 0-3-0 and have been outscored 16-3.
Zary, 25, was scratched for the team's second game against the Vancouver Canucks and returned to the lineup for Game 3 Sunday against the Seattle Kraken with no effect.
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He recorded an assist in the Flames' 6-1 loss to the Kraken in the season opener but was a minus-one.
"I think I know who I am as a player, but it's going out there and showing it," Zary said during training camp in a pre-season chat with Sportsnet.ca.
"You’ve got to produce. You’ve got to do it on a night-by-night basis, trying to help the team win, and trying to create plays that create scoring chances. That's what I have to do, is prove that to people and prove that to myself, and know I have the ability and the confidence to do that."
Coach Ryan Huska's frustration with Zary was evident after Game 1 last week when he talked about how unacceptable it is to be careless in the neutral zone with the puck, doing everything but name Zary.
Selected 24th overall by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft, Zary showed promise with 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 63 games during his rookie season in 2023-24.
He has not matched that production since, finishing the 2025-26 season with 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 74 games, which tied him for seventh on the team in scoring with Jonathan Huberdeau.
In 193 career NHL games, Zary has 39 goals and 48 assists for 87 points.
Injuries have played a role in slowing his development, especially in 2024-25 when he hurt his knee twice, and his name surfaced in trade speculation throughout the summer.
General manager Craig Conroy made it known around the league this summer that Zary was available, but no one bit, the Flames said.
Zary is in the second year of a three-year contract he signed in September 2025, which carries an annual average value of $3.775 million through the 2027-28 campaign.
If he clears waivers by noon MT on Tuesday, he would be assigned to the AHL's Calgary Wranglers for the first time since the 2023-24 season, giving him a chance to play more consistently and regain offensive confidence.
The Flames also placed veteran defenceman Brayden Pachal on waivers Monday.
Pachal, 27, made the season-opening roster but has not appeared in any games this season. He is in the final season of a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.187 million.
The New York Rangers also placed defenceman Matthew Robertson on waivers Monday.
Only two players were placed on waivers on Sunday, as Boston Bruins forward Michael Eyssimont and San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Giles both cleared on Monday and can be assigned to their respective minor-league affiliates.
With files from Sportsnet, Yahoo Sports and Calgary Herald