[News] Flames trade down (twice) to the 24th OA pick and select C Connor Zary

[FurnaceFace]

From the Athletic:

24. Calgary Flames: Connor Zary, C, Kamloops-WHL

Sept. 25, 2001 | six-foot | 178 pounds

Zary was one of the top players in the WHL in his third season in the league and the major reason why Kamloops led the WHL in scoring. Zary is a very entertaining player, as he’s one of the most skilled players in the draft. His touches with the puck are very quick, he’s extremely creative and he can beat defenders clean consistently. He had numerous moments this past season where he pulled off a highlight real-caliber play. Zary is a very smart offensive player. He can make the seam passes and find teammates very well, but also makes plays happen through unconventional ways. He scored a lot of bad angle goals this season, and he finds teammates in situations where there doesn’t seem to be a play. Zary is a highly competitive player. He doesn’t just dangle on the perimeter, he attacks the net, he pressures defenders and he is in the face of his opponents constantly. He can kill penalties and run your power play. The major knock on Zary is his skating. Some scouts think it’ll be pro average, some think below-average. I lean to the former camp. It’s not great, and the stride breaks down at times, but I think the stride is good enough that he’ll be able to skate at the NHL pace.

NHL scout on Zary: “He’s full of skill, hockey sense and competitiveness. You can use him in any situation and he won’t disappoint you. The skating will need to come, but it will get there with strength.”

Pronman’s thoughts: I’m a huge fan of Zary. He got to No. 24 because of concerns on his iffy skating stride, but I see a player with tremendous skill. He makes so many plays, and he competes very hard. I thought his creativity stood out consistently, and he projects as a type of player coaches will love. Even with the skating issues, I think he can be top-six center

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by 868904

It is a concern when you hear that skating is what he needs to work on, not every player just becomes a good skater with NHL level guidance. Monahan and Tkachuk are highly skilled, smart and with size but both have been hampered by skating, which shows when the speed and intensity of games ratchets up in the playoffs.



Hopefully with Zary, the skating issue is due more to a lack of strength and power and not so much technique.

Will any one of us be complaining if Zary is only just as good as Monahan or Tkachuk in tbe NHL? Those were top-ten picks; Zary was selected 24th.

And besides, where skating was once a terminal issue for young prospects it has more recently become among the more correctable shortcomings today, especially for centres.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

His stride looks a little odd and scrambly from the highlight packages, but he gets where he needs to go. Plus it looks like he's got pretty good edgework to score those wrap around goals.
Definitely is probably something that he will have to work on; however, Chucky faced similar criticism, and his skating hasn't really impacted his effectiveness too much.

Was about to say this - every criticism of his skating hasn’t been “he’s slow”, but rather, a comment about an odd stride. Now maybe that translates into not being fast at the NHL level, but who knows.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Fun fact: Braden Schneider, who NYR traded up to nab with our 19th overall pick, is 4 days older than Zary.

I think this is one of the only things (other than him being a LHS) that I don't like about the pick. But maybe I'm weighing too much stock into his age??

An alternative, a guy like Perreault or Bourque, are only 5-7 months younger. Not sure how much of a difference it actually makes.

The more I read, the more I love the pick.

edit: Even Mercer, the pick I wanted, will be 19 in 3 weeks.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

His stride looks a little odd and scrambly from the highlight packages, but he gets where he needs to go. Plus it looks like he's got pretty good edgework to score those wrap around goals.
Definitely is probably something that he will have to work on; however, Chucky faced similar criticism, and his skating hasn't really impacted his effectiveness too much.

He did have a lot of breakaways in the highlights. Seems like he is really good at exploiting the weaknesses of players at the junior level. (Bad coverage, bad goaltending etc.) Which makes me think he could be a very opportunistic and sneaky player at the NHL level.

[Gaskal]

Here was me hoping that he'd fall to us at 19. Not only do we get him anyway, we got two extra picks! Definitely a happy camper.

[united]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

And yet some say he can’t skate. Brian Burke had concerns.

Remember, Brian Burke had Hunter Smith ranked higher than Brayden Point largely due to Point’s poor skating at the time. Skating can be rapidly improved with a self-motivated player and external direction.

I’m not concerned, personally.

[Crown Royal]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

And yet some say he can’t skate. Brian Burke had concerns.

Identifying skating as a problem area just means it needs to be improved, it does not mean "he can't skate"

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

few things I noticed:


-Zary's touch in front of the net reminds me a lot of Monahan and Tkachuk
-Zary seems to have a lot of tools. Every scoring play looked different
-The quality of goaltending in the CHL seems to be atrocious LOL
-skating appears to be noticeably better in the 19-20 video than in the 18-19 video

Offensively, he reminds me of Tkachuk - smart positionally, can just as easily make a pass or do a dangle, good shot, and really good hands in tight. In other words, really good hockey sense.

Combine that with a fiery competitiveness, and an ability and desire to bring it every night, and that is a really exciting prospect.

Skating can be improved, and will improve as he gets stronger. Competitiveness and hockey sense cannot be teached.

[Crown Royal]

nm

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

I did not consider him too much this scouting season. I saw his highlight package early and was impressed yet my excitement is tempered by the fact of the quality of competition. The WhL boasts brayden point right now as alum but he was a “3rd round pick” yet whom else I’m the league aside from draisaital or RNH ? Not that they aren’t quality nhl forwards but to me the whl is a better factory for character forwards and defence man. The odds outliers being price and iggy/doan/recchi/sakic/Clarke/lanny/fleury. Mind you all those guys played and won championships respectively but I wasn’t looking to the whl with our first pick. It hasn’t been the traditionally stronger conference at notable offensive forward matriculation as the OHl imo.

Perrault and forester were there and were there with one 3rd before the wash trade. So I was a bit disappointed.

I thought right shot offensive depth was a premium in the draft and skill was there which we lacked as a potential line mate for our woeful top line.

Yet you draft bpa u get rewarded.

This kid is growing on me. That swagger. The video of him counting his goals. He’s gonna have to back it up in the pros but I like that already. His analytics look good too for whl fwds is 1.56 ppg draft 0. I am liking the scouting reports on his play making. Some conflict and say great shot or needs improving. Skating is conflicting. I see him playing with pace and energy. This screams to me indecision and an unknown quality. He could be even better than advertised with his character.

Those attributes blended with the premium the org is placing in compete and character and I think we have a top six center. That’s more valuable than a scoring winger with one trick. But we know how valuable scoring is out here, especially when it counts but it’s a 200 ft 60 minute game. Ask this group about that game 6 vs Dallas. This guy is in a lot of pk highlights and makes sick back foot door no look passes in the pp.

Plus we got two 3rds. Colour me impressed with the execution. Fingers crossed for Colangelo.

[Enoch Root]

I am really liking the recent trend for Flames draft picks. I like players with that competitive drive, with a fiestiness and will to win. And looking at the young core of Flames, I really like what I'm seeing:

Tkachuk, Bennett, Mangiapane, Dube, Andersson.

Zary and Pelletier are like that too.

I'll take a team full of badgers any day

[GioforPM]

Who else from the WHL is an NHL star other than Draisaitl or (laughs) RNH?

Ummm: Getzlaf, Benn, Barzal, Johansen, Neideraiter, Stone come to mind.

[Enoch Root]

Also, it ebbs and flows. For a while, the Q was a wasteland. Then it recovered.

Suggesting the WHL can't produce offensive talent is just silly.

Remember when Canada couldn't produce goalies?

[timbit]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Who else from the WHL is an NHL star other than Draisaitl or (laughs) RNH?

Ummm: Getzlaf, Benn, Barzal, Johansen, Neideraiter, Stone come to mind.

Brayden Point is okay.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by timbit

Brayden Point is okay.

He was in the post i responded to so i didn’t mention him.

[cannon7]

Skating can be improved. Hockey sense is innate. Happy with this pick.

[David Struch]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I am really liking the recent trend for Flames draft picks. I like players with that competitive drive, with a fiestiness and will to win. And looking at the young core of Flames, I really like what I'm seeing:

Tkachuk, Bennett, Mangiapane, Dube, Andersson.

Zary and Pelletier are like that too.

I'll take a team full of badgers any day

Eetu Tuulola, Martin Pospisil, Matthew Phillips, Alexander Yelesin also have a lot of physicality and bite (tenasiousness) in their games as well. Not sure about Adam Ruzicka about though.

[Tibnadian_tpd]

I do like Connor Zary's gritty two way play, compete level and swagger. Those are all things every team needs to win to be certain. I'm just not seeing the "full of skill" that some scouts were talking about. In fact, I think he is limited offensively, and to me he projects to be one of those guys that max out around 40-45 points in a good year. Well, it is what it is at 24th, I can be happy the Flames were able to acquire some extra picks and draft a future NHLer at least.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Will any one of us be complaining if Zary is only just as good as Monahan or Tkachuk in tbe NHL? Those were top-ten picks; Zary was selected 24th.

As a pick? no
But a hypothetical top six full of guys like that will be a frustrating team to watch. I don't personally think Lindholm is a particularily above average skater either. Backlund and Gaudreau are the two best skaters in our top six, and hypothetically Zary would replace Backlund going forward, if Bennett is not given that opportunity.