Are the Calgary Flames mismanaging Connor Zary?

It’s a fair question — and one that’s becoming harder to ignore as the team sits dead last in the NHL and continues to struggle offensively.

A year ago, Zary looked like one of Calgary’s most promising young forwards. His confidence, creativity, and puck instincts gave fans a glimpse of what could be a foundational piece for the franchise’s future. However, this season has told a different story — one of frustration, inconsistency, and perhaps misdirection.

After suffering multiple knee injuries that derailed most of his 2024-25 season, Zary entered this year with optimism and a renewed sense of purpose. The 24-year-old said all the right things and looked ready to build on his strong early performance. Yet 16 games in, he’s managed just two points (1G, 1A) and carries the look of a player searching for answers — or perhaps for the right opportunity to rediscover himself.

A Skill Player in a Fourth-Line Role

Zary has bounced up and down the lineup, tried at centre, on the wing, and even spent time as a healthy scratch. More often than not, he’s found himself anchoring the fourth line — a role that, let’s be honest, doesn’t play to his strengths.

For a player built on finesse, forecheck and offensive touch, fourth-line minutes can feel like a punishment rather than a platform. That said, Zary hasn’t exactly earned top-six minutes, either. One goal and one assist through 16 games don’t exactly scream “promotion.”

But in a lineup where underperformance is widespread, the question isn’t just whether Zary deserves more ice time — it’s whether head coach Ryan Huska and the Flames can afford not to give it to him.

Confidence, Opportunity, and the Catch-22

Confidence is a fragile thing in hockey. When it’s gone, every touch feels heavier, every play feels forced, every mistake magnified. Zary looks like a player caught in that mental fog — gripping the stick too tight, overthinking every decision, trying too hard to make the perfect play instead of the right one.

He’s had brief looks on the power play and occasional runs in the top six, but nothing has stuck. Still, it’s difficult to rebuild confidence from the bottom of the lineup, where offensive opportunities are few and far between.

If the Flames truly see Zary as part of their long-term core, they need to find a way to help him play his game again — not just any game that fits the lineup card.

Lessons from the Past

It’s hard not to see shades of Sam Bennett in this situation.

Another first-round pick who flashed skill, grit, and upside — but couldn’t find traction in Calgary’s system. Bennett was shuffled between lines, positions, and expectations before eventually being traded to the Florida Panthers, where he’s since become a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe winner and a critical piece of a perennial contender.

Zary’s path doesn’t need to mirror Bennett’s, but the warning signs are there. The Flames can’t afford to let another talented young forward become a casualty of misfit roles and lost confidence.

A Bridge Contract — and a Crossroads

Zary’s new three-year bridge deal worth $11.325 million ($3.775 million AAV) shows the organization believes in his potential. But potential needs nurturing. It needs patience, trust, and the right environment to grow.

Maybe his legs aren’t fully under him after those knee injuries. Maybe he’s pressing too hard to justify his new contract. Or maybe he’s simply caught in a system that doesn’t yet know how to maximize his strengths.

Whatever the reason, Zary’s too skilled — too important to Calgary’s future — to be boxed into a checking role.

The Bottom Line

Zary needs to do more, no question, but he also needs the right opportunity to do it.

The Flames, meanwhile, need to decide what they want him to be — a developing offensive piece they’re investing in, or another underused talent struggling to find his fit.

Because if there’s one thing Calgary has learned before, it’s that players with skill, confidence, and drive don’t always stay quiet for long. They just find somewhere else to be heard.