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

[Sandman]

I always liked Zary, and lobbied in his favour before last year’s draft, but his play this year has really made me a believer. He played surprisingly well for Stockton, who struggled mightily after he went back to junior. (Scorpion could speak to that much better). He is an offensive catalyst, with high IQ and vision, but the most encouraging thing about him is that he can drive play, even with his perceived skating issues.

[Reggie Dunlop]

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Okay. 2012 re-draft, who goes higher - Janko, Yakupov, or Girgensons?

[ComixZone]

Bader put out a thread on Zary, and it’s not exactly a good outlook.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1489634467706642432

[SuperMatt18]

He was good in the AHL last year when he was given the opportunity so that eases the sting a little bit. But yeah it's not ideal.

If you're moving a top prospect (Pelletier, Zary, Coronato) it's probably him at this point.

He's battled a couple of injuries this year too and has not been able to get into a consistent rhythm which is tough for a young player.

[JTech780]

It would be interesting to see his ice time with the Heat. It looks like he is playing behind Gawdin and Froese at center. I would also like to see who is linemates are. Is he playing 3rd line with Kirkland and Duehr, not exactly the most skilled linemates.

[agulati]

For someone who has been watching the Heat, how has he actually looked so far? Has he been used in a scoring role, or have his responsibilities been otherwise? Points/stats only tell part of the story, albeit the part of the story they are telling doesn’t look too good so far.

[Drunk Uncle]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

He was good in the AHL last year when he was given the opportunity so that eases the sting a little bit. But yeah it's not ideal.

If you're moving a top prospect (Pelletier, Zary, Coronato) it's probably him at this point.

He's battled a couple of injuries this year too and has not been able to get into a consistent rhythm which is tough for a young player.

Doubt other teams will see him as a top prospect as part of a trade. He fell in the draft because a bunch of teams passed him over. I'd bet most teams see him as a B level prospect.

He'll basically be the toss in to a deal to balance value at this point.

[Sandman]

Does he not have multiple players ahead of him on the depth chart right now in Stockton? Either way, I’m not worried about him-he’ll bounce back, this year or next.

[Erick Estrada]

Meh. This is a bit of a hot take of a 20 year old player. He has years of development to go before we have to start worrying about him being a bust.

[neo45]

If they just graduate Pelletier and play Zary with Phillips as a winger I think his production goes right back on track

But it’s important to develop guys as centers for as long as you can. You can easily switch them to wing later pretty much at any time. Doesn’t seem to work the other way

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Does he not have multiple players ahead of him on the depth chart right now in Stockton? Either way, I’m not worried about him-he’ll bounce back, this year or next.

If he's playing behind good but career type AHL'ers, that's not good.

[Toast_Man]

Let's not forget what Scott Wheeler of the Athletic said:

4. Connor Zary, C/LW, 20 (Stockton Heat)

It’s easy to look at the slow start to the season that Zary had (when he posted just two points in his first nine games), measure it against Pelletier, and forget that Pelletier’s results are unusually impressive for players their age, Zary is younger, and Zary’s track record before this season was as impressive or more (including a decent first showing in the AHL last year). But I thought he started to turn the corner into the Christmas break and he has had a fine year on the whole. He’s an average-sized, average-skating player with above-average tools across the board and a determined disposition. I like the way he wins back pucks along the walls and then makes quick plays low-to-high out of a short carry. I like his middle-lane drive and his willingness to go to the guts of the ice and push tempo. And while his skating has made doing that at the same level and pace as he did in junior a little more challenging in the AHL, I actually think his footwork through his crossovers and speed in transition aren’t concerns at all (though his forward pushes do have a bit of hitch), in part because he keeps himself moving and pushes himself to his limits. He’s not as dominant an on-puck carrier as you might expect out of a forward who produced like he did in junior, but his skill can flash in shorter sequences into give-and-gos and he’s still a deft stickhandler in traffic. He’s the kind of player where when he’s feeling it, playing between checks, and getting touches, the puck just seems to find him in dangerous areas to create chances. And even when the points aren’t falling, he’s consistent shift-to-shift. I still see upside as a contributing top-nine forward despite some of the growing pains he has encountered this season.

[icarus]

54% chance that a late first-rounder will be an NHLer? Not sure why that means anyone should be sounding the alarm.

[HighLifeMan]

This is a player who missed the entirety of training camp and then had to join a team that was completely rolling 12 games into the season (10-0-2). He's been playing catchup all season long. It's hard to solidify your spot and get into a groove under those circumstances. Hopefully it happens soon.

[agulati]

It is still way too early to call him a bust or even start considering it. He had decent production in the AHL last year in his short stint. Shows that his potential can translate to that level. His progression does show some stagnation on the stat line, but his gameplay/role matters a bit more at this stage. There is still a decent bit of season left at this point as well.

[Strange Brew]

At this stage of his career, you'd like to your 20 year old first rounder showing improvement like he's strapped to a rocket. Doesn't mean he's a bust yet.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Toast_Man

Let's not forget what Scott Wheeler of the Athletic said:

I don't know what to think about Wheeler and how much he watches these guys. He still had MEP in his top 10, ahead of recent high draft picks for the Flames. That kind of shook my confidence in his POV.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by icarus

54% chance that a late first-rounder will be an NHLer? Not sure why that means anyone should be sounding the alarm.

Yeah, it should never be a surprise if a late 1st rounder takes longer, stalls out as a depth player, or doesn't make the NHL. It's pretty much a crap shoot outside of the top 10-15. I haven't bothered with the math, but it does seem like the trend is changing in recent years though with more late 1st rounders panning out. They are still far from a sure thing however. This is why I cringe at the thought of selling a pending UFA in a year where the team is actually doing well. Throwing away a competitive season for a crap shoot is pointless.

I think it's safe to say that Zary is still at least a couple of years away if he makes it at all, but I wouldn't toss him aside yet.

[TheIronMaiden]

Any player outside of the top 5 picks is going to be a project. The Flames forward prospect depth is the most exciting its been in a while with Pelletier, Zary and Coronato.