In this week’s edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumours, general manager (GM) Craig Conroy remains confident that a contract extension between the Flames and Connor Zary will be agreed upon in the near future. In other news, Jonathan Huberdeau was recently ranked as having the worst contract in the NHL for a second-straight year. Last, but not least, defenceman MacKenzie Weegar was able to score an invite to Team Canada’s orientation camp for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
Zary Extension Only a Matter of Time
It is only a matter of time before an extension gets worked out between the Flames and Connor Zary, Conroy recently stated. The 23-year-old continues to wait as a restricted free agent (RFA) despite the fact that several others, including Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost, have already been locked up. Despite the lengthy delay, it doesn’t appear that Flames fans have reason to panic.
“We know it’s going to get done. In the end, it always does. They’d probably like it to be done today, we’d like it to be done today. Sometimes it just takes a little bit longer. We’ve still got a lot of time in the summer,” Conroy said on Sportsnet Today 960.
Zary is coming off of an injury-riddled season in which he had 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games. He’s shown glimpses of potential, but it is somewhat unclear as to what his future in the NHL holds. Given the uncertainty, the Flames have been aiming for a bridge deal, while Zary’s camp is holding out in hopes of a long-term contract.
Huberdeau Contract Ranked as Worst in the NHL
A bounce-back season in 2024-25 wasn’t enough for Jonathan Huberdeau to avoid what is likely the worst recognition in pro sports. The 32-year-old, who had a solid 28-goal, 62-point season, was once again ranked as the NHL’s worst contract based on a model put together by Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic. (from ‘Dom Luszczyszyn: NHL’s 10 worst contracts, 2025 edition: Jonathan Huberdeau, Ivan Provorov and more,’ The Athletic, 7/31/25)
“Huberdeau is still a good player. And in the right situation, it’s possible he can still be a great player,” Luszczyszyn wrote. “Still, it’s unlikely he’ll ever be a $10.5 million player again. For now, he’s nowhere close and, for the second straight year, carries the league’s worst contract as a result.”
Related: Flames’ Huberdeau Doesn’t Fare Well in New Worst Contracts Ranking
Huberdeau still has six seasons remaining on his albatross deal that carries a $10.5 million cap hit. That extension, of course, was doled out by former Flames GM Brad Treliving shortly after Huberdeau had recorded a career-high 115 points. While expecting him to ever surpass the 100-point barrier again is unwise, he may be able to avoid being labelled as the league’s worst contract next year if he can finish closer to a point-per-game pace.
Weegar Scores Team Canada Invite
Despite receiving plenty of hype beforehand, Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar was left off of Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Given how good he has been since coming to Calgary, one can’t imagine he was far away from making that team, and though being cut was certainly disappointing, he now has an opportunity to represent Canada on an even bigger stage.
Related: Flames’ Pospisil Extension Is a True Head-Scratcher
NHL players will be back at the Winter Olympics in 2026, and the participating countries are already gearing up. This includes Canada, who recently invited 42 players, including 13 defencemen, to their orientation camp in late August. The other defencemen on the list include Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson, Drew Doughty, Aaron Ekblad, Thomas Harley, Cale Makar, Brandon Montour, Josh Morrissey, Colton Parayko, Travis Sanheim, Shea Theodore, and Devon Toews.
Weegar has turned into a workhorse for the Flames, logging big minutes on a nightly basis while playing in all scenarios. The 31-year-old is great in his own end, and can produce very solid offence as well. In 81 games last season, he recorded eight goals and 47 points. The season prior, he had a career-high 20 goals.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
Given that we are in early August, there aren’t a ton of stories surrounding the Flames at this time. That said, as the month progresses, fans should expect to hear more on the Zary front, as well as trade discussions involving Rasmus Andersson, who still may be moved before the 2025-26 campaign gets underway.
