2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

-The Habs are looking to find a team with the room to absorb Price's contract. This means the Wings, Pens, Flames, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Sharks and Ducks
-The Habs are also looking to acquire 2nd line C
-Kadri is apparently willing to waive for the Habs


I would be thrilled with Kadri going to the Habs in exchange for:
-Price
-Hage
-One of their LD (Xhekaj, Struble, or Engstrom)


Follow that with an Anderson trade for futures.

Kadri and Poirier to MTL

Price, Hage, Engstrom and a pick to CGY

Makes a ton of sense to me.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

Montreal gets Kadri, with the cap going up and the contracts they have. They are looking very good.

I would take Price and J Anderson back if we could get a ton from them.

I hope this happens, target both their 1sts.

Trade Ras to Ottawa for Pinto and picks

Sign Grzelcyk

Ottawa is on the NT list apparently. Not sure why unless Rasmus is dead set on a US team for taxes or lifestyle. They have decent players and two upper end LDs to play with. Finished a point back of Florida last season.

They aren't a top end contender, but then again, neither is Vegas IMO.

[the-rasta-masta]

The way I read it Price isn't really much of a cap dump. He's owed $5 millon signing bonus on September 1st, and then only owed $2 million for the remainder of the season, of which quite a bit is covered by insurance.

The article doesn't seem to think any Price trade would happen until after his signing bonus would pay out, meaning there's not much actual salary for a team to pay to take on the $10.5m cap hit, which Montreal sees as value for a team trying to stay above cap floor.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I doubt Hage will be on the table.

[Hackey]

Kadri would be a perfect add for Montreal. After the Monahan fleecing I think we're owed a nice return. A potential deal there makes a lot of sense for both teams.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Kadri would be a perfect add for Montreal. After the Monahan fleecing I think we're owed a nice return. A potential deal there makes a lot of sense for both teams.

You'd think, but being a Flames fan you just know that its not really going to happen. When in history have the Flames really fleeced a team?

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

That was how the article was written, but seems to ignore that only SJ is under the floor at the moment. I don't see getting to the floor to be much of a problem, certainly not one that would cost an asset. Very Montreal-centric viewpoint on that one.

I think the Penguins could become interested in Price's contract if they start blowing up their core.

The floor is $70.6M? The Pens are sitting on $83.4M salary right now. If they move out Karlsson and Crosby then they are below the floor by almost $6.3M. Salary retention could soften the drop a bit.

Crosby to Avs (50% retained = $4.35M) for futures
Karlsson to Vegas (50% retained = $5M) for futures + cap dump
Price to Penguins with futures
Malkin to ??? (50% retained = $3.05M) for futures

That would use all of their retention slots, restock the prospect pipeline, and stay above the cap floor. With all of that retention they would technically still be above the salary cap floor without Price's contract, so they could keep going with the blow up and move out another ~10M in salary (Rust & Rakell).

Also, the Pens would still need to field a team, so they could start taking on dead weight that other teams want to unload.

It would be a really interesting rebuild if Dubas was willing/allowed to get that aggressive and Price's contract could help them go all out in blowing up the team.

[flambers]

If Price was traded, I would think the Sharks are the most likely team interested

It looks like they require more salary to hit the salary cap floor

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

You'd think, but being a Flames fan you just know that its not really going to happen. When in history have the Flames really fleeced a team?

Flames have gotten the better of the Vancouver trades for Lindholm and for Baertschi. I think they won both Hamiton trades. Markstrom for Bahl and Reschny (as it turns out).

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by flambers

If Price was traded, I would think the Sharks are the most likely team interested

It looks like they require more salary to hit the salary cap floor

Couture puts them at $74.1M, which is above the floor. Most of the calculators ignore him unless you turn on "Show LTIR".

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Flames have gotten the better of the Vancouver trades for Lindholm and for Baertschi. I think they won both Hamiton trades. Markstrom for Bahl and Reschny (as it turns out).

The Baertschi trade I would accept. But nothing in the caliber of Monahan and a1st for nothing, or Gilmore for Leeman, or Iginla for a bag of pucks.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I doubt Hage will be on the table.

You're likely right, but I would consider adding to Kadri to pry Hage out of there.

[Robbob]

SJ also has to consider bonuses. You figure a few of their players will make their bonuses. That will probably add around 5M, maybe more. If it is more and they add Price and his 10.5, they are right near the cap.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The Baertschi trade I would accept. But nothing in the caliber of Monahan and a1st for nothing, or Gilmore for Leeman, or Iginla for a bag of pucks.

it wasn't Monahan and a 1st for nothing.
It was for cap space to sign our best forward.

The deal isn't nearly as bad as it is made out to be.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

You're likely right, but I would consider adding to Kadri to pry Hage out of there.

Unless we're somehow overpaying I dont think adding to Kadri gets us Hage anyways. At least not in a way that would make sense for the Flames. Hage looks like a stud, I doubt they're moving him at all.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

it wasn't Monahan and a 1st for nothing.
It was for cap space to sign our best forward.

The deal isn't nearly as bad as it is made out to be.

Its Monahan (1 year then UFA) + Mid round first for Kadri essentially.

IF Kadri moves and returns something valuable then you can assess the deal better.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Knut

Its Monahan (1 year then UFA) + Mid round first for Kadri essentially.

IF Kadri moves and returns something valuable then you can assess the deal better.

And that 1 year of Monahan amounted to 25 games for the Habs that year.

[GioforPM]

I don't need Conroy to "fleece" a team anyway. That shouldn't be the goal of a GM.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I think Montreal is seeing it as they get the value if they can find a team that wants the floor boost with little actual dollars going out the door.

Good luck with that Montreal

I believe that San Jose is the only team under the floor right now, and they'd probably be looking for more of a player like Walman last year that they can play and might be able to flip, than just taking on Price's dead money

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

it wasn't Monahan and a 1st for nothing.
It was for cap space to sign our best forward.

The deal isn't nearly as bad as it is made out to be.

How so?

Cap space to sign our best forward... who is a great player, but ultimately hasn't advanced us meaningfully towards winning a cup. And one who isn't interested in being traded which could meaningfully help the team. And who contributes to them not bottoming out.

I think it's one of the worst tactical moves in franchise history when viewed objectively in retrospect. But even at the time it was an absolutely baffling move. We traded a 1st + one of the best centres we ever drafted just to commit huge dollars to a player we didn't need at all.