2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Calgary4LIfe]

I don't think it matters at all if the Flames announce anything at this time. The market isn't there anyway. It likely won't be much of a market until after the Olympics. Injuries will happen in the NHL and in the Olympics, so I think the need will increase. Plus, very few top teams have any cap space - they don't want to remove a player necessarily - they may not have any dead space in a poor contract. I would be shocked if anyone moves until at least just before the Olympics, but probably not until after.


It will be fascinating to see what teams go after Hughes and Andersson, and how much the trades differ in value. Might be a little tighter than expected. I also would love to get some 1st round picks in later drafts - we all know that it is going to be 25th or later on any 1st round pick heading to Calgary, but who knows what a 2027 or 2028 pick may end up like. If a team like Toronto or PIttsburgh are in on the action, I might prefer their 1st round picks in a package over teams like Dallas and Colorado, even accounting for the delay and strength of this draft class. I also think it allows your prospects more 'room' at the AHL level to develop. You can't give them all opportunities at once, unfortunately.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Shazam

There was an article a while back that followed Tre around as he worked, I think that's where CliffFletcher is getting most of that info from.

Tre did say that there's a crazy amount of tire-kicking that happens.

Of course there is a tremendous amount of tire kicking - I would guess it is over 90% tire kicking. But that is one of the ways that GMs find out what is going on, and what other GMs may or may not be interested in discussing.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Groot

https://flamesnation.ca/news/a-marke...elias-lindholm

Dec. 22, 2023



So they never planted the For Sale sign for Lindholm according to Insider. Less than 6 weeis later...

https://www.nhl.com/news/elias-lindh...calgary-flames


Crazy that the best return that Conroy has received so far as GM didn't follow some weird fan-fiction script someone made up to support being angry. That's so weird to me.

Ya but that fan fiction script sounds like it could be in some feverish dream how trades are made.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Sorry, but this is a ridiculous take.

Each organization has TEAMS of people working on these things full time. The cap implications of every possible deal they might be considering, are already calculated, for instance - you don't sit around waiting until you're about to make a trade before saying "hey Bob, what are the cap implications if we trade XXXX?"

Teams know who may be available, and are scouting them regularly, discussing what each might cost, what the cap implications are, etc.

Constantly.

You are underestimating the amount of time a few employees spend with the abacus to figure out if the cap works. There is no technology that can perform that function, it is manual labour.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I don't think it matters at all if the Flames announce anything at this time. The market isn't there anyway. It likely won't be much of a market until after the Olympics. Injuries will happen in the NHL and in the Olympics, so I think the need will increase. Plus, very few top teams have any cap space - they don't want to remove a player necessarily - they may not have any dead space in a poor contract. I would be shocked if anyone moves until at least just before the Olympics, but probably not until after.


It will be fascinating to see what teams go after Hughes and Andersson, and how much the trades differ in value. Might be a little tighter than expected. I also would love to get some 1st round picks in later drafts - we all know that it is going to be 25th or later on any 1st round pick heading to Calgary, but who knows what a 2027 or 2028 pick may end up like. If a team like Toronto or PIttsburgh are in on the action, I might prefer their 1st round picks in a package over teams like Dallas and Colorado, even accounting for the delay and strength of this draft class. I also think it allows your prospects more 'room' at the AHL level to develop. You can't give them all opportunities at once, unfortunately.

It really comes down to how much Hughes wants to go to NJD to play for his brothers. Everyone is assuming that is the case, and if it is, it will be hard for Vancouver to extract value. Something around Nemec + additional pieces makes sense as they don't need Nemec if they are getting Q. Hughes. They also have Seamus Casey who is going to be totally blocked and needs to play in offensvie positions. But there has been some discussion that maybe it's not a given that Q wants to join his brother in NJD because it could harm Luke Hughes career.

If he is open to other teams it will certainly increase the return.

In either case, Hughes should land a haul and much more than Andersson.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I don't think it matters at all if the Flames announce anything at this time. The market isn't there anyway. It likely won't be much of a market until after the Olympics. Injuries will happen in the NHL and in the Olympics, so I think the need will increase. Plus, very few top teams have any cap space - they don't want to remove a player necessarily - they may not have any dead space in a poor contract. I would be shocked if anyone moves until at least just before the Olympics, but probably not until after.


It will be fascinating to see what teams go after Hughes and Andersson, and how much the trades differ in value. Might be a little tighter than expected. I also would love to get some 1st round picks in later drafts - we all know that it is going to be 25th or later on any 1st round pick heading to Calgary, but who knows what a 2027 or 2028 pick may end up like. If a team like Toronto or PIttsburgh are in on the action, I might prefer their 1st round picks in a package over teams like Dallas and Colorado, even accounting for the delay and strength of this draft class. I also think it allows your prospects more 'room' at the AHL level to develop. You can't give them all opportunities at once, unfortunately.

Yeah to assume that other GMs need a formal invitation is a little much for me.

The three players are on all insider trade boards.

If you want the player and you see the standings, you approach things when you are ready to make an offer.

Plus they're talking anyway, and have likely had the discussion about wants and needs without exchanging offers.

[3thirty]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I'm curious how folks in this thread can state with such confidence how trading in the NHL works.

Well if anyone here is a GM expert its the guy who's handle is a former GM

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I'm curious how folks in this thread can state with such confidence how trading in the NHL works.

Easier to get mad about things.
Deals can be done a lot of ways and there are no real set scripts.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Yeah to assume that other GMs need a formal invitation is a little much for me.

The three players are on all insider trade boards.

If you want the player and you see the standings, you approach things when you are ready to make an offer.

Plus they're talking anyway, and have likely had the discussion about wants and needs without exchanging offers.

I watch a lot of OOT games, just flipping from game to game.

Just last night (and this happens on many nights), there was reference to Andersson, Kadri AND Coleman, on the various games (don't ask me which games for which, because I won't be able to remember), just from the PBP guys chatting, and discussing what they think their team might be considering, what's going on in the league, etc..

If PBP guys in other cities are discussing them, do you think GMs are sitting in their offices, waiting and wishing for Conroy to put up an official for sale sign, and lamenting that he hasn't? Is there anyone in hockey that isn't aware that Andersson, Kadri , and possibly Coleman, are available?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The NHL doesn’t operate like a videogame. GMs aren’t constantly firing out trade proposals to one another. From the accounts and interviews I’ve read, there are several stages to a deal coming together.

Stage 1

GMs calling each other and keeping the channels of communication open. They ask how the wife and kids are, how their golf games are coming, if they’re hearing anything about who might be available or who’s interested in buying. The figure cited in an interview by one GM is 90 per cent of calls are just this kind of shooting the ####.

Stage 2

GM 1: I’m looking for help on the wing, veteran middle-six. Anyone on your roster available?

GM 2: We’re still not at a place where we’re looking to sell. Who are you interested in?

GM 1: We like Coleman. He’s a good fit.

GM 2: He’s a great fit for a lot of teams. You’d love him. We’ll get back to you if he’s available.

In media insider parlance, this is “Team X has expressed an interest in player Y.”

Stage 3

GM 2: We’re not shopping Coleman, but we’re open to moving him if we get the right offer.

GM 1: We’re expecting to go on a run this year, so we’re mainly interested in moving picks. Our 2026 2nd is probably in play for the right guy.

GM 2: We like Coleman, and we’re happy to keep him through the year if we don’t get a 1st.

GM 1: Understood. Keep in touch.

In media insider parlance, this is “kicking tires.” Teams rarely make their best offer at this stage. And few deals ever get beyond this stage.

Stage 4

GM 1: We want to bring in a guy before the Olympic break. We have some other irons in the fire, but we still like Coleman. Is he’s available, and he’s willing to move out east, we can move our 2026 second and a B tier prospect. But we’re ready to move on to other options if this doesn’t come together by end of week.

GM 2: We’ll approach Coleman about this NTC if you firm things up. But a 2026 second and prospect sound like the outlines of a deal.

At this point a group of 6-8 people on each team - GM, AGMs, presidents, pro scouts, amateur scouts, capologists, analystics guys - start crunching the numbers on valuations of any draft picks involved, projections of prospects, contract and cap implications. Coaches might be brought in for their input. Counter-offers are formulated and proposed.

In media parlance, this is “team X has made a serious pitch for player Y” or “negotiations are underway between team X and team Z.”

Few deals reach this stage because it’s very resource-intensive. And when they reach this stage, someone almost always leaks, it becomes a big media talking point, and agents and players can get pissed if this is the first they’ve heard about it.

When teams put a player on the market, they’re saying “we’re serious about moving this guy, it’s worth investing resources in hashing out a deal, and we’re prepared for the fallout when this becomes common knowledge. So let’s skip directly to stage 4 and give me your best offer.”



It’s not clear the Flames are even at stage 3 with Kadri and Coleman. They certainly aren’t at stage 4, which is when teams get serious about offers.

LOL. This is entirely made up. Your capologist takes about 5 minutes to figure out the implications of a trade - it’s not hard to add and subtract money in and out. Your analytics guy has a database with everyone's stats already available.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Of course there is a tremendous amount of tire kicking - I would guess it is over 90% tire kicking. But that is one of the ways that GMs find out what is going on, and what other GMs may or may not be interested in discussing.

I suspect the tire kicking goes on for months and months and then the serious talks take just a few days when GMs decide they actually want to move.

[Bingo]

And the never seen before level of parity is likely slowing things down considerably.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I suspect the tire kicking goes on for months and months and then the serious talks take just a few days when GMs decide they actually want to move.

Or one day a GM wakes up and decides to make an awful trade without really shopping them/ The Flames have had a few

[Monahammer]

Seems to me like we are about to be sold on team culture again. I feel it in my bones.

Rasmus will not be traded.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Bingo

And the never seen before level of parity is likely slowing things down considerably.

It is pretty crazy, exactly what the NHL wants IMO

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Seems to me like we are about to be sold on team culture again. I feel it in my bones.

Rasmus will not be traded.

I feel it in my bones that Andersson and Kadri will be traded. I cancel you out

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Or one day a GM wakes up and decides to make an awful trade without really shopping them/ The Flames have had a few

Phaneuf trade, Gilmour trade at the bare minimum. Happens to the flames more often than other clubs, I suspect because it is actually not GM but ownership who wakes up and makes a snap decision and pushes GM hand.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I feel it in my bones that Andersson and Kadri will be traded. I cancel you out

I hope your bones are right, but historically speaking I highly doubt that.

In fact I will bet you basically anything that both of these players are not traded this season. One may be, but certainly not both. Our front office doesnt have it in them. They don't have the horsepower.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

And the never seen before level of parity is likely slowing things down considerably.

100%

It is going to be fascinating to see how it plays out because just about every team could make just about any case they wanted.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Of course there is a tremendous amount of tire kicking - I would guess it is over 90% tire kicking. But that is one of the ways that GMs find out what is going on, and what other GMs may or may not be interested in discussing.

ok, um, thanks? But thanks for the patronizing explanation. I thought they tire kicked because they were bored and had nothing else to do.