Connor Zary’s latest injury setback will keep him on the shelf for a while longer.
The Calgary Wranglers said Friday that the 25-year-old forward has had knee surgery and is now out week-to-week. He had already missed the previous two games after the club initially described the issue as a lower-body injury. Calgary later confirmed Zary had a successful procedure on Thursday and will remain sidelined while he recovers.
Zary has played six games for the Wranglers this season, posting one goal and four points. His AHL stint came after the Flames sent him down earlier this month, following his clearance through waivers on Oct.
- Before that move, he had one assist in two games with Calgary.
Head coach Ryan Huska had taken aim at Zary’s inconsistency and frequent turnovers.
The rest of the league passed on claiming him off waivers, even though his contract surely played a role in that decision. Zary carries a $3.775 million cap hit through 2028.
Calgary drafted Zary in the first round, taking him 24th overall in 2020 after moving back twice from No. 19. The Kamloops Blazers product had already built a strong reputation with the AHL’s Stockton Heat and the Wranglers before breaking into the Flames lineup in the 2023-24 season.
His rookie year with the Flames looked like a breakthrough: 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games. But he hasn’t been able to match that production since, and knee problems have been a constant drag. Multiple injuries limited him to 54 games in the 2024-25 season, and in 2025-26, the first year of his new three-year deal, he managed 25 points in 74 games with Calgary.
The Wranglers are scheduled to play the Laval Rocket on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Mountain at the Saddledome. They’ll be missing Zary, along with William Stromgren and goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, both recalled by the Flames on Friday.
In Other News...
Flames Momentum Vanished Fast Against A Colorado Team They Couldnt Contain
The Flames came in looking to build on some momentum, but Colorado stripped that away quickly in a 5-2 loss that left Calgary chasing the game from the opening stretch. The Avalanche scored the first four goals, with Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Artturi Lehkonen and Brock Nelson all getting in on the action, while Cale Makar kept the puck moving with four assists in a night that showed just how hard the Avalanche can be to contain when they get rolling.
Calgary did get goals from Joel Farabee and Martin Pospisil, and Farabee has been one of the brighter spots in the lineup lately with his offense continuing to show up. Still, the bigger concern was how quickly Colorado turned a competitive matchup into a steep climb, and the Flames were left searching for answers after another reminder of how thin the margin can be against a top-end opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Injury Trouble Is Creating A New Wranglers Problem
The Calgary Wranglers Halloween-night matchup with the Laval Rocket had the feel of a game played in a hurry and under pressure, with penalties, fights and a 2-1 loss that left the series split. Alex Nylander provided Calgarys lone goal, but the bigger story around the organization has been the steady drain of bodies moving up to the Flames as injuries pile up, with Arsenii Sergeev and William Stromgren among those called on to help at the NHL level.
Connor Zarys situation only adds to the uncertainty, and it leaves the Wranglers trying to keep their own season on track while serving as a patchwork support system for the parent club. The result against Laval was competitive enough, but it also underscored how thin the margin has become for Calgarys depth chart, where every new absence creates another hole for the Wranglers to fill. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Get Another Shot At A Flames Team With Real Questions
The Flames head into the first week of November with a 6-8-0 record and a few more questions than answers, even after a recent win over the Seattle Kraken. Calgary followed that up with a loss to the Colorado Avalanche, a reminder that the margin for error remains thin as the schedule tightens and the team heads into a stretch of two road games against divisional opponents before coming home for two more.
Offensively, Calgary has at least found some help from Matvei Gridin and Joel Farabee, who have been among the brighter spots in a lineup still dealing with injury absences. Devin Cooley, Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Honzek and Brennan Othmann are all sidelined, and the Flames will have to keep piecing things together while trying to turn mixed results into something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]