Insider Hints Zary May Be More Committed Than Flames In Contract Talks

Connor Zary is one of the last remaining RFAs without a contract for next year. The Calgary Flames have more than enough cap space and are trying to integrate their youth in with their veterans to create a competitive team rather than rebuilding. Zary is one of those young pieces that started to show what he can do in the NHL last season, but a new contract is tough with two partial seasons and just 117 games played.

The Flames have over $15 million to still spend and Zary is not only projected to play on the top line, but could get a fair bit of power-play one time as well. He had strong underlying analytics with a Corsi For % of 56% and an expected goals for % of 57%. The 23-year-old finished last season with 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games. He still has lots of room to develop and will be given every opportunity to do so in Calgary. He didn't find his stride in the AHL right away either, but he has already fit into the NHL and is a contributor for the Flames.

Jeff Marek stated that, "I'm pretty sure Calgary wants a bridge on this one, and Zary might be looking for something a little bit longer term. I don't know how much money is an issue as much as term is." It makes sense for the Flames to be cautious about signing Zary long-term in case he doesn't pan out the way they hope. A bridge deal would give them a few years to further evaluate their young forward and be more sure about their decision. A short-term deal doesn't necessarily have to mean low money for Zary either, but it won't be too high.

Matthew Coronato got a seven-year, $6.5 million AAV deal, so a bridge deal for Zary won't come that close to that, but it might sit somewhere between $4 million AAV and Morgan Frost's $4.375 million AAV for 2-3 years. One more year wouldn't be long enough to evaluate. This would give Zary the opportunity to continue to produce and get better, earning a big payday on a long-term deal, but he could also improve at a slower rate too.

Like how Marco Rossi and the Minnesota Wild ended up settling on a bridge deal at a fair value, I strongly believe it will be the same result with Zary and the Flames, but for less money with less proven in the NHL yet. The Flames don't necessarily have to worry, but they can't play hardball to the point where it leaves a bad taste in Zary's mouth for the next negotiation.