Connor Zary was once considered to be a future core piece for the Calgary Flames, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Trade rumours surrounding the 24-year-old have been prevalent, as both the team and the player potentially look to move on.
While Zary hasn’t been a bad player, his career so far has been defined by injuries and underwhelming play. There’s also the fact that Flames head coach Ryan Huska and Zary don’t seem to see eye-to-eye, which is another reason why a fresh start could be in the cards.
Whether a trade is imminent or not is unknown, but according to one recent report, trade interest regarding Zary may not be as present as fans may think.
Zary isn’t generating much interest on the trade market
According to Flames insider Pat Steinberg, he stated on a recent episode of Flames Talk that Zary hasn’t had a large market so far, and that he’s been available for quite a while with little to no interest
I think he’s (Zary) been quietly avaliable but there haven’t been a ton of bites
Steinberg also mentions that the Flames aren’t willing to just give him away for nothing, and if they’re not getting the offers they want, the team will likely just stand pat on the situation.
Another option is that if the Flames still think that Zary is capable of bouncing back, they may try everything in their power to help him succeed. In my opinion, as long as Ryan Huska remains as coach, this is unlikely to happen, and a fresh start may be the better road to take. But if the team isn’t getting the offers they want, no trade will happen.
Zary’s future with the Flames is looking bleak
As mentioned before, it really seems like Zary’s time with the Flames is coming to an end. He’s been surpassed by other players on the depth chart, and he seems to be unable to catch a break regarding the injury bug. While disappointing since he is a former first-round pick, the Flames may have to make a tough decision.
Zary has two more years with a cap hit of $3.77 million. He’ll remain available on the market until a team meets the Flames’ asking price, which is reportedly a second-round pick. If not, expect to see Zary at training camp for the Flames as the team looks to salvage what they can from him.
