Just a few short seasons ago, Connor Zary was projected as a star of the future for the Calgary Flames on the back of a rookie campaign that saw him score 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games played.
Unfortunately, he's taken a step back in the subsequent two seasons, as he has just 25 goals and 52 points in that time, with injuries, inconsistent playing time and plenty of bad puck luck stopping him from taking that next step. At 24-years of age, it seems as though the time is now for the Flames front office to make a major decision on him, even after he signed a three-year deal that has two seasons currently remaining.
Despite all of this talent, it seems that Zary just isn't a priority for the Flames under Ryan Huska, as he was limited to just 14:22 minutes per game this past season, a trend that continued on over the past three years as he fails to find consistent game time. This comes even though he plays a position of need for Calgary, and even after the trade of Nazem Kadri, Zary still wasn't given an opportunity down the middle.
It's not like he didn't produce either, as Zary had a 35 game stretch in the middle of the season where he put up 9 goals and 21 points, showing that when given the chance, he can be a producer. As of right now, it doesn't appear as though Calgary is where he will get the opportunity, as the team figure to enter the 2025/26 season with Mikael Backlund, Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome as their 1, 2 and 3C, meaning a trade could be the way out for Zary.
Now, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now has named Zary one of four trade candidates for the Devils this off-season, with the team reportedly looking to improve depth scoring while betting on upside.
With a weak crop of free agents coming this summer, here are four attainable depth scoring trade targets.#NJDevils Trade Targets: Depth Scoring & Potential Breakoutshttps://t.co/MlGRbdytoG
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) May 23, 2026
If those are the two needs for the Devils, then Zary is the perfect fit, with the 24-year old still having immense upside, and after two straight summers of trades between the two teams with Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli heading to New Jersey, the two franchises are familiar with each other. Whether or not the Flames deal Zary, only time will tell, but with a clear lack of playing time ahead and a growing sense of frustration, the Devils could be a very good landing spot for the former 2020 first-round draft pick.
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