Amidst a really disappointing first few games, the Calgary Flames are making some roster changes. On Monday morning, the club placed a pair of established National Hockey League players on the waiver wire: forward Connor Zary and defenceman Brayden Pachal.

Zary, 25, is a left shot forward who can play centre or the wing. He was a first-round selection, 24th overall, by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft. He went pro in 2021-22 and climbed the pro ladder within the Flames system, breaking onto the NHL roster full-time early in the 2023-24 season after two years in the American Hockey League.

As an NHLer, Zary’s bounced around the lineup a bit, providing a mix of speed and skill when he’s been on his game. But he hasn’t quite been the same since a pair of scary-looking knee injuries suffered during the 2024-25 campaign, and he wasn’t nearly as effective (or consistent) in 2025-26 as he had been previously. Zary was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game in Edmonton. In two games this season, he has registered one assist. His contract carries a $3.775 million cap hit this season and next season, if assigned to the AHL the Flames would free up $1.225 million of his cap hit.

Pachal, 27, is a right shot defenceman who has served as a Flames third pairing fixture since being claimed off waivers from Vegas during the 2023-24 season. A bit of a throwback, he’s a stay-at-home type that revels in physical play. He’s been a healthy scratch more and more often over the past season or two, though, as the Flames put more and more emphasis on the up-and-coming defenders in their system. He hasn’t dressed for any NHL games this season yet. His contract carries a $1,187,500 cap hit this season. If assigned to the AHL, his entire cap hit could be buried.

Including these two waivers-pending players, the Flames are carrying 23 active players: two goaltenders, eight defencemen and 13 forwards. These two waiver moves would give them the flexibility to potentially bring up two new faces from the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers, their top minor-league affiliate.

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