2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[GioforPM]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1970490949139664992

[ForeverFlameFan]

We don't really have to care what Verbeek thinks, if McTavish signs an offer sheet, then it will be up to the Ducks on whether or not they match.

9.3m x 5 gets you him at a 1st/2nd/3rd. Is that something Calgary is willing to do? I honestly think the pressure of finding a franchise forward falls down a little when you've got McTavish/Kadri as the 1/2 punch and then Reschny hopefully becoming the next 1A/1B with McTavish. I would do that offer sheet all day long. If the Ducks match, then you can try and offer sheet Zelleweger or Mintyukov next season, both ideal long-term partners for Parekh.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

We have a lot of depth but few elite pieces.

Wolf...that is it.

Maybe Parekh on D, too early to tell.
We need at least 2 elite pieces up front to be a contender. We will need some lottery luck to get there.

I do think at some point if Conroy manages the cap well, he can make a trade for 1 top end player. I also think we can draft 1 high end player outside the top 10 of the draft if Conroy keeps stockpiling assets.

[BaconGuy]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

9.3m x 5 gets you him at a 1st/2nd/3rd. Is that something Calgary is willing to do? I honestly think the pressure of finding a franchise forward falls down a little when you've got McTavish/Kadri as the 1/2 punch and then Reschny hopefully becoming the next 1A/1B with McTavish. I would do that offer sheet all day long. If the Ducks match, then you can try and offer sheet Zelleweger or Mintyukov next season, both ideal long-term partners for Parekh.

Problem is these have to be the Flames original picks which could very well be top 5. That price gets even steeper when you consider you are paying him 9.3m just for potential

Too much for me

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

If you are looking at the McDavid or Mackinnon types. I'm ok with a Barkov

I don't see a Barkov in this draft, at least at this stage.
Maybe Lawrence can become sorta that.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

I do think at some point if Conroy manages the cap well, he can make a trade for 1 top end player. I also think we can draft 1 high end player outside the top 10 of the draft if Conroy keeps stockpiling assets.

So hard to do though.

If you’re going to trade for a top end player there usually is going to be several teams in on it. Teams are loathe to trade those players in the first place, especially young ones. Not only do you need the cap, you need the pieces to make the trade.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by BaconGuy

Problem is these have to be the Flames original picks which could very well be top 5. That price gets even steeper when you consider you are paying him 9.3m just for potential

Too much for me

McTavish easily takes us out of the running. He fills a need, and I am willing to bet the Flames could get a high 90s/low 100s season with McTavish. However, the problem that comes out of this is dealing with Andersson. I know Conroy is a man of his word and would trade him, but we would get lowballed like crazy at the TDL if we were a playoff team and other teams know Andersson is likely going UFA.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by BaconGuy

Problem is these have to be the Flames original picks which could very well be top 5. That price gets even steeper when you consider you are paying him 9.3m just for potential

Too much for me

This team isn't a bottom 5 team with or without McTavish and based on the team rostering players like Wolf, Kadri, Coleman, Backlund, Weegar, Coronato. Parekh etc. I'd bring him in for an offer sheet like that and even more so since the team would still have a first and third rounder to play with next year even without moving Andersson. You're always paying someone for potential in today's league and it is not looking like a true #1 center is going to happen anytime soon for this club. Is McTavish that guy? Jury is out but he's closer to that player than anything the Flames currently have and at worst is a 1B type guy long-term.

I've sat through some lean years and none of them have been bad enough to get into that conversation aside from the Bennett draft. That season wasn't even bottom out lottery winning bad either, and this team has way more going for it than that one did. Keep the two first rounders and draft again if you want, but this team doesn't need another Reschny or Gridin (no offense both great prospects) right now. It needs NHL ready, impact scoring talent upfront that isn't 30+ years old or 2-3 seasons away.

[The Fonz]

Even if the Flames underperform and the 1st rounder ends up being a top 5 pick - you're hoping to grab a player like MacTavish with that pick.

It's a worthwhile risk to try and get him on an offersheet, 7yrs @ 9.35M.

[FleeceGang]

If we win the lottery then there is definitely an elite center to be had with the pick. Flames would just have to trade it. I feel like half the league would back the truck up for Mckenna.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Even if the Flames underperform and the 1st rounder ends up being a top 5 pick - you're hoping to grab a player like MacTavish with that pick.

It's a worthwhile risk to try and get him on an offersheet, 7yrs @ 9.35M.

7x9.35 would cost the Flames 4 1sts.

The compensation is decided by the total contract dollars divided by a maximum of 5 years. The AAV in this case would be 12.6M.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

7x9.35 would cost the Flames 4 1sts.

The compensation is decided by the total contract dollars divided by a maximum of 5 years. The AAV in this case would be 12.6M.

Oh wow, I didn't realize that 5yr rule. Has that always been there?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by FleeceGang

If we win the lottery then there is definitely an elite center to be had with the pick. Flames would just have to trade it. I feel like half the league would back the truck up for Mckenna.

Good point but I wouldn't trade McKenna.
You are talking about a Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov quality of player.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

This team isn't a bottom 5 team with or without McTavish and based on the team rostering players like Wolf, Kadri, Coleman, Backlund, Weegar, Coronato. Parekh etc. I'd bring him in for an offer sheet like that and even more so since the team would still have a first and third rounder to play with next year even without moving Andersson. You're always paying someone for potential in today's league and it is not looking like a true #1 center is going to happen anytime soon for this club. Is McTavish that guy? Jury is out but he's closer to that player than anything the Flames currently have and at worst is a 1B type guy long-term.

I've sat through some lean years and none of them have been bad enough to get into that conversation aside from the Bennett draft. That season wasn't even bottom out lottery winning bad either, and this team has way more going for it than that one did. Keep the two first rounders and draft again if you want, but this team doesn't need another Reschny or Gridin (no offense both great prospects) right now. It needs NHL ready, impact scoring talent upfront that isn't 30+ years old or 2-3 seasons away.

If Wolf suffers a sophomore slump then the Flames could be awful, but I honestly don't see that happening. The Flames missed the playoffs by one point last year, and that was largely due to the fact they had horribly inconsistent scoring. This will only get better as better and more developed young players enter the lineup.

In order to even have a shot at bottom 5, Kadri needs to be out of the lineup, Wolf has to flounder, and the young players, as a whole, need to suck. That would mean Zary, Coronato, Parekh and any other kid that makes the lineup regressing. A lot of things have to go wrong to make bottom 5.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

https://twitter.com/user/status/1970490949139664992

I feel like goalies take leave like this more than any other position. I guess it is a high pressure position

[blankall]

Originally Posted by FleeceGang

If we win the lottery then there is definitely an elite center to be had with the pick. Flames would just have to trade it. I feel like half the league would back the truck up for Mckenna.

The Flames should not trade McKenna. He's good enough that you can pair him with an average #1 centre and you'll have a great top line.

I mean maybe if Macklin Celebrini demands out of SJ, you could look at a 1v1 trade. But when has something like that ever happened?

Edit: Here are NHL's rankings of the top 20 NHL centres:

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-current...0-centers-2025

The only one you consider moving McKenna for are Hughes and Celbrini. Hughes is not coming to Calgary. Outside of the top 20, I see Connor Bedard and possibly Leo Carlsson as players you'd consider. If Logan Colley has a big year, maybe?

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

I feel like goalies take leave like this more than any other position. I guess it is a high pressure position

It's also a position where it's extremely hard to cover up any medical issues, physical or mental. You let in one extra shot a game, and you've gone from all star to not NHL worthy.

[FlamesAreOne]

Taking a leave weeks before the regular season starts is scary.

[bluejays]

It's stated to be a family issue so it may not be him - likely a sick family member. Out of his control.

[Icon]

Wonder if the Leafs bring back Samsonov.