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Flames, Connor Zary Remain Apart In Contract Talks

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The Flames and RFA forward Connor Zary still have a roughly $1MM gap to bridge as they continue talks on a new contract, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reports.

While Calgary prefers a three-year deal and Zary is open to that term, the Flames are holding firm in the $3MM-$3.5MM range annually, Di Marco writes. Zary’s ask on a three-year pact is around $4.5MM annually.

Zary does have first-round pedigree (No. 24 overall in 2020) to fall back on, but his ask on a multi-year deal likely checks in above market value. He’ll be 24 in September and only emerged as a full-time NHL option in the 2023-24 campaign and missed nearly 30 games last season due to injury.

When healthy, the 6’0″ forward has comfortably shouldered top-nine minutes, primarily on the wing, and has averaged 19 goals and 43 points per 82 games while seeing 15:39 of action per night. His point per game pace decreased from 0.54 in his rookie season to 0.50 in 2024-25, however. He finished the year with a 13-14–27 line in 54 contests.

That platform year heavily favors Calgary’s ask. AFP Analytics’ projection at the beginning of the summer for a short-term deal was three years at around $3.42MM per season, right in the ballpark of the Flames’ offer. As such, it’s hard to envision general manager Craig Conroy moving the goalposts much further than they’re currently set.

Zary was not eligible for salary arbitration this summer. Since his age upon signing his first NHL contract was 18, he requires four years of experience with at least 10 NHL games played. That means he won’t be eligible for arbitration next offseason if he signs a one-year deal, either. He’d need at least a two-year contract to make him arbitration-eligible upon expiry, and a three-year deal would leave him just one year away from UFA eligibility.

Parekh's Lower-Body Injury Won't Keep Him Out Of Training Camp

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  • Earlier this week, the Flames announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Zayne Parekh wouldn’t take part in the World Junior Summer Showcase due to a lower-body injury. However, the injury isn’t believed to be significant and he’s expected to be a full participant in training camp.  The 19-year-old scored in his NHL debut back in April and has tallied 33 goals in each of the last two seasons at the OHL level while amassing 203 points between 2023-24 and 2024-25.  He’s still ineligible to play in the AHL but his offensive production with OHL Saginaw should give him a real chance to make Calgary’s roster in the fall.

Connor Zary, Flames Apart On Contract Negotiations

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The Calgary Flames grabbed headlines yesterday after signing forward Martin Pospisil to a three-year, $7.5MM extension. Still, restricted free agent forward Connor Zary remains unsigned heading into August, and negotiations are reportedly moving more slowly than expected.

In a new article from Daniel Austin of The Calgary Herald, when asked about Zary’s status, the journalist quoted Flames General Manager Craig Conroy saying, “We’re talking. It’s been slow, though. Even with Pospisil, there comes a point where it heats up and you think ‘Now we’re close’ and then you’re able to get it done really quick. Pospisil was probably two, three months we were talking with (agent Dan Millstein).”

Much of the disagreement reportedly centers on the contract length, with the Flames favoring a bridge deal and Zary advocating for a long-term contract. In all seriousness, Zary likely hasn’t earned a long-term deal yet, unless he’s willing to take a below-market salary. Over the past two years, the former 24th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has scored 27 goals and recorded 61 points in 117 games with the Flames, achieving a +5 rating while averaging 15:39 of ice time per game.

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Flames Sign Martin Pospisil To Three-Year Extension

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The Flames have signed Martin Pospisil to a three-year extension, according to his agent, Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. The 6’2″ center/winger will earn an average of $2.5MM per season for a total value of $7.5MM, according to PuckPedia.

Pospisil, 25, began the 2024-25 season on the NHL roster for the first time. He was fresh off signing a two-year, $2MM extension that he signed amid his rookie campaign in 2023-24 that will still carry him through the upcoming season at a $1MM cap hit, but he now won’t be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Today’s extension will take him to unrestricted free agency in 2029.

The heavy-hitting Slovak forward has been consistent ever since working his way into a regular NHL role. He appeared in all but one game for Calgary in 2024-25, recording a 4-21–25 scoring line while improving his discipline, bringing his PIM total down to 84 after logging 109 in 63 appearances in his rookie campaign. He still had a team-leading 301 hits, tied with William Cuylle for third in the league.

Pospisil averaged 13:48 of ice time per game last season, including a tad under a minute per game on the power play as a net-front presence. Without much turnover among the Flames’ forward group this summer, he’ll figure to slot into a similar role in his final season under his current deal before the extension kicks in for 2026-27. He saw more time at center in 2024-25, winning 40.8% of his 174 faceoffs, and that could continue if he continues to see primarily fourth-line deployment at even strength.

While his new cap hit is fair value for the production and overall impact he’s provided in Calgary’s lineup over the past couple of years, it is interesting to see them prioritize a multi-year deal for Pospisil over some other more pressing items. Restricted free agent Connor Zary remains without a contract for the upcoming season, while Calgary also has key players at each position – Mikael Backlund at center, Rasmus Andersson at defense, and pending RFA Dustin Wolf in goal, who need new contracts for 2026-27, although Andersson is more likely a trade candidate than an extension one.

Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Miromanov Could Be Odd Man Out; Phillips Commits To USHL Green Bay

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The Flames haven’t done much this summer on the back end.  Joel Hanley was re-signed after he became an unrestricted free agent, Kevin Bahl received a long-term deal, and Rasmus Andersson has not been moved despite plenty of trade speculation.  The expectation is that 2024 first-rounder Zayne Parekh will be on the roster as well; he remains ineligible to be sent to the AHL.  As a result, Postmedia’s Daniel Austin suggests that Daniil Miromanov could be the odd man out on the back end barring any further movement.  The 28-year-old played in a career-high 44 games last season, notching nine points and 55 blocked shots while averaging 17:41 per contest.  A right-shot defender signed for one more year at $1.25MM, there’s a good chance Calgary would be able to generate some trade interest in him in training camp if he does wind up being on the outside looking in at a roster spot.

  • Still with the Flames, prospect Mace’o Phillips has decided where he will be playing this season. Green Bay of the USHL announced on its Instagram page that the blueliner has committed to playing for them in 2025-26.  Phillips was a third-round pick last month by Calgary, going 80th overall after spending last season with the U.S. National Team Development Program.  It should be one-and-done with the Gamblers as Phillips is expected to suit up for the University of Minnesota in 2026-27.  By delaying going to college, the Flames could have up to five years to sign him to his entry-level contract.

Third-Rounder Mace'o Phillips Moving To USHL Green Bay

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  • Flames defense prospect Mace’o Phillips will delay his college commitment for the University of Minnesota for a year and instead join the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers for his post-draft season, Ryan Sikes of Puck Preps reports. Calgary’s third-round pick (No. 80) in last month’s draft will now wait to join the NCAA ranks until 2026-27. The 6’6″, 234-lb shutdown lefty spent last year with the U.S. National Team Development Program’s under-18 squad, where he posted six points and a -11 rating with a whopping 103 PIMs in 60 appearances.

Flames' Prospect Cullen Potter Models Game After His Mom

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  • In a write-up on the last pick of the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Cullen Potter explained to Aaron Vickers of NHL.com that instead of having a role model in the NHL, Potter has modeled his game after his mother’s, U.S.A. Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Jenny Schmidgall-Potter. The recent pick of the Calgary Flames and a sophomore at Arizona State University was quoted saying, “I haven’t watched too much tape, but just at the outdoor rinks I definitely probably mimic some of her stuff. I think some people that watched her play say I mimic her a little bit.”

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Will The Flames Move Any Veteran Players?

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The Flames entered this summer looking to improve upon last season, but haven’t made many player additions. They have been busy thus far, signing several restricted free agents, including Morgan Frost and Kevin Bahl. However, they haven’t made any outside improvements to the roster and still have to take care of restricted free agent Connor Zary’s next deal. The Flames also have a couple of veterans whose names have been in trade rumors this summer, including defenseman Rasmus Andersson and center Nazem Kadri. Kadri’s name has popped up over the past few weeks, and he would be a desirable trade chip. Andersson has had his name in headlines for a while and has been linked with several teams, but no trade has materialized.

Calgary faces a tough dilemma with Andersson, who has one year remaining on his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026. The Flames can attempt to move him this summer, but without an extension secured, teams might hesitate to meet a high asking price. The Flames aren’t eager to sell Andersson for less than they believe he’s worth, but they also wouldn’t be wise to sign him long-term right now, considering his recent decline in play. Andersson remains a vital trade piece for the Flames if they choose to make him one, and he could bring Calgary multiple assets even if he doesn’t agree to an extension.

The flip side is that Calgary is trying to rebuild, and trading away a capable right-shot defenseman in his prime will set the team back, as they are unlikely to get a roster player of equal value to Andersson in return. That said, Frank Seravalli reported over a month ago that both Andersson and the Flames have exchanged figures on a potential extension, and they don’t seem to be on the same page.

For his part, Andersson seems eager to test the market, as he has been selective about which teams he would negotiate a contract extension with, when asked by the Flames (according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic). It’s a bit of a gamble for the 28-year-old, as he is coming off two disappointing seasons and risks severe damage to his market value if he has another off year next season. Andersson is set to earn $4.55MM next season in the final year of a six-year, $27.3MM contract he signed back in January 2020. That deal initially proved to be a bargain for Calgary and has been closer to market value over the past two seasons.

Andersson’s offensive numbers took a significant hit last season, and his plus/minus was dreadful at -38. While plus/minus isn’t the best stat to gauge a player’s overall performance, a closer look reveals his PDO was only .953, suggesting a lot of bad luck. Nevertheless, the -38 is quite striking, and Andersson did face struggles defensively, along with poor puck management, last season. It would be a significant risk for Calgary to sign Andersson to an extension at this time, but trading him when his value is lower than it could be is also a gamble.

Calgary forward Kadri has also had his name mentioned this summer, and his situation is very different from Andersson’s. Kadri is coming off a strong season with 35 goals and 32 assists in 82 games and is six years older than the defender. He also has four years remaining on his contract, with a cap hit of $7MM, and he holds a no-movement clause.

The timing of a potential Kadri trade this summer seems unusual since he has significant control over where he would go and is just a year away from his full no-movement clause turning into a 13-team no-trade list, which could make him easier to move. However, Calgary might see risk in waiting to trade him because he will be 35 at the start of October and could begin to show signs of aging. It’s a delicate balance for Calgary as they try to improve and compete for the playoffs next season, and they wouldn’t exactly be dealing from a position of strength if they move Kadri.

Beyond Kadri, Calgary has Mikael Backlund, Frost, and Martin Pospisil as their second, third, and fourth-line centers, respectively. If anything, that is a group Calgary would probably like to add to, but it might not happen this off-season. Yegor Sharangovich and Zary could also play center for the Flames, but it would deplete an already thin forward group unless the Flames received NHL-ready forwards in return for Kadri.

All of this to say, that it doesn’t feel like the right time for Calgary to trade Kadri, but it definitely can’t be ruled out given Kadri’s age and contract. Andersson, on the other hand, is a wild card; the negotiations haven’t been significant on an extension, so it’s entirely possible he gets moved before the season and will almost certainly be traded at the NHL Trade Deadline unless he signs an extension.

Photo by David Gonzales-USA TODAY Sports

Flames Extend ECHL Affiliation

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The Calgary Flames have signed a multi-year extension with the Rapid City Rush, their ECHL affiliate. The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed. This will continue a partnership that began in the 2022-23 season. Rapid City has finished sixth in the ECHL’s Mountain Division, and missed the postseason, in all three of their seasons under Calgary’s organizational roof.

The Rush are among the middle siblings of the ECHL, entering the league as an expansion team ahead of the 2008-09 season. They had a stunted inaugural season, but managed to blaze their way to a Kelly Cup Championship win in 2010. That kicked off a string of playoff appearances that continued through 2015. Rapid City announced their first NHL affiliate, a partnership with the Arizona Coyotes, on the heels of those six consecutive postseason appearances. They’d stay with Arizona for two seasons, only to be dropped by the club for two years, and then reaffiliated from 2019 to 2022. Rapid City was once again dropped by Arizona ahead of the 2022-23 season, opening the door for a quickly-organized partnership with the Flames. While the club hasn’t found much league success under Calgary’s guard, they have managed to promote 14 players to the AHL and NHL lineups over the course of three seasons. That includes top Flames prospect Rory Kerins, who scored 37 points in 38 games with the Rush in 2022-23.

Flames Re-Sign Rory Kerins, Yan Kuznetsov, Jeremie Poirier

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The Flames re-signed a trio of restricted free agents today, announcing new deals for forward Rory Kerins and defensemen Yan Kuznetsov and Jeremie Poirier. Kerins’ deal is a one-year, two-way pact paying him $775K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL with a $125K guarantee, per PuckPedia. Poirier also landed a one-year, two-way deal with the same breakdown as Kerins but no guarantee.

As for Kuznetsov, he lands a two-year contract that converts from a two-way structure in 2025-26 to a one-way in 2026-27. He’ll make the league minimum NHL salary in both seasons of $775K and $850K, respectively, for a cap hit of $812.5K. He’ll earn a $125K AHL salary this season with a $150K guarantee.

Kerins, 23, made his NHL debut in a five-game call-up in January. He was extremely productive in his small sample, recording four assists and a plus-three rating while averaging 12:14 per game.

Calgary selected the 5’10” center in the sixth round in 2020, and he’s since forced his way up the depth chart as a potentially high-ceiling offensive option. Whether he’s worked out enough of a niche to unseat veteran Dryden Hunt for one of their extra forward spots on their opening night roster remains to be seen. Still, he should be in contention for a job after his strong initial showing in the NHL in combination with his 33 goals and 61 points in 63 games for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers last season.

Kuznetsov lands a bit more of a commitment with a signal that the Flames expect him to be an NHL contributor for the 2026-27 season. Calgary selected the 6’4″ Russian lefty in the second round in 2020, but the stay-at-home rearguard only has one NHL game to his name. He skated 11:58 of ice time in a game against the Senators on Jan. 9, 2024, recording a block and a minus-one rating with two shots on goal.

The 23-year-old is coming off a career year in the minors, though. He played all 72 games for the Wranglers and recorded 21 points along with a +21 rating, the highest on the team by a significant margin. Giving him a two-year deal risks walking him to Group VI unrestricted free agency in 2027 if he doesn’t reach 80 NHL career games by then.

Poirier, also 23 and a member of Calgary’s 2020 draft class (a third-rounder), is the only member of the group without NHL experience. The 6’1″ lefty has spent the last three seasons with the Wranglers as their top-scoring defenseman but missed significant time in 2023-24 due to injury.

Back healthy last season, Poirier rebounded with 42 points in 71 games, a career high. There remain some significant defensive gaps in his game that limit his recall potential, which he’ll need to make significant strides on in 2025-26 to work toward an NHL future.

Calgary has 42 of 50 contract slots filled for the season, with forward Connor Zary as their lone unsigned RFA.

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