The Calgary Flames risked losing Connor Zary.
That was the choice they made on Monday when they placed Zary on waivers. Any of the other 31 teams in the NHL had the right to claim him.
If even one team wanted the 25-year old, former first-round pick, all they had to do was place a claim, and Zary would be theirs.
The Flames and Zary then had to wait 24 hours until Tuesday afternoon to know what the conclusion to this brief drama was.
Multiple reports emerged at about 12 noon local time in Calgary that affirmed the outcome.
Is Connor Zary Gone?
Zary has not left the Flames organization after all.
Instead, he went unclaimed on waivers. That means the Flames retain control of his contract, at least for now.
Where Will Connor Zary Play?
Zary is set to head to the AHL now. The waiver process wasn’t just to discard Zary. The Flames also knew that if he got through waivers, he would still conceptually be able to play in their organization.
By passing through waivers, he’s now able to be sent to the AHL.
Zary doesn’t have to go far. The AHL team for the Calgary Flames is the Calgary Wranglers.
The Flames’ leadership will get a good chance to keep an eye on his play and how he’s developing, if he ends up playing in the AHL.
In a perfect world, he’d still reach his ceiling with the Flames even after this detour.
However, it’s worth noting that this might just be for now.
Insider Elliotte Friedman reports a trade could be coming:
Zary not being claimed is contract-related. We will see if a trade can be worked out
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 6, 2026
Connor Zary Fast Facts
The Saskatchewan native was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft after playing his junior hockey with the Kamloops Blazers.
The center has struggled to hit his stride at the highest level, though.
Zary didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2023-24 season. That year, he had 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 63 games.
Zary regressed in 2024-25 to 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 54 games.
Then in 2025-26, Zary played a career-high games total with 74 but had career-worst totals in goals (12), assists (13), points (25) and plus-minus (negative-9).
Last season, Zary scored on the fewest percentage of shots in his NHL tenure. He also averaged the least ice time of his career.
This season, Zary had one assist through two games. He was a minus-2.
Calgary got off to a nightmare start, as well, losing its first three games by a combined score of 16-3. Zary was far from the only culprit.
Zary, though, is a player the Flames likely believe still has a chance to amount to something if he can improve his game in the AHL first. They had to risk the waivers to see what happens next, and now the next steps get underway.
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