2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by kehatch

Its the opposite. I am assuming these conversations did and do happen. My points are that 1) We are rebuilding so Kadri may not be as set on staying as people think, and 2) Kadri and Conroy talk and Conroy should have a good idea what Kadri wants to do. This shouldn't be positioned as something that damages the relationship or the Flames reputation.

It isn’t being positioned that way. What’s being positioned that way is the assumption that the Flames have a good idea of what Kadri wants to do and should simply pressure him anyway into something he doesn’t want to do.

If we assume the Flames know his wishes, then there is no value in asking him to waive. You either know he will and a deal will happen, or know he won’t and don’t have to even ask.

It’s been suggested previously by posters that Kadri should be given an ultimatum: agree to waive now for a preferred destination, or we’ll trade you wherever as soon as your list expands. That’s a good recipe for damaging a relationship or reputation.

[mile]

Originally Posted by HitterD

Wish I could find the GIF cheatsheet that Sec214 posted a while back. might give some clues

This one? About Conroy being the Chimpanzee?

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpo...postcount=1108

[Rhett44]

Players are asked to waive their NTC all the time. The Florida Panthers themselves traded part of their core in Huberdeau without consulting him. At the time many were saying Florida did him wrong and he was super upset they never asked him, and that players would remember how they treated him.

No one cares now that he was traded. Florida management has one of the best reputations in the league, players are asking to go there. At the end of the day no one will care we asked Kadri to waive if we are a contender in 5 years.

I just really don't get it. This is business, it isn't personal. We signed him when we were going all in as a contender. Things have changed a lot since then, and players themselves know this.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Players are asked to waive their NTC all the time. The Florida Panthers themselves traded part of their core in Huberdeau without consulting him. At the time many were saying Florida did him wrong and he was super upset they never asked him, and that players would remember how they treated him.

No one cares now that he was traded. Florida management has one of the best reputations in the league, players are asking to go there. At the end of the day no one will care we asked Kadri to waive if we are a contender in 5 years.

I just really don't get it. This is business, it isn't personal. We signed him when we were going all in as a contender. Things have changed a lot since then, and players themselves know this.

Huberdeau didn't have a negotiated NTC at the time. Very different situations. I also don't recall people thinking they did Huberdeau wrong. Just that he was caught off guard.

But tell me which of the following, that I outlined earlier, do you disagree with. You say you don't get it. So tell me what of this is unreasonable to you:


I think you approach him if the following are both true:
- You have a deal that you are VERY interested in doing
- He has expressed that he is at least open to waiving, including for certain teams.

If on the other hands
- You don't have a deal that is good enough
- Or the player has been clear, in any communications, he has no interest in waiving


Then I don't see the point in bringing it up with him.

In a case like with Kuzy it's very different
- The player was not playing regularly
- He is at the end of his contract

Therefore the team doesn't have to be as worried about the long-term implications of asking him to waive, and the player is probably very open to a change to get a better opportunity.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Huberdeau didn't have a negotiated NTC at the time. Very different situations. I also don't recall people thinking they did Huberdeau wrong. Just that he was caught off guard.

But tell me which of the following, that I outlined earlier, do you disagree with. You say you don't get it. So tell me what of this is unreasonable to you:


I think you approach him if the following are both true:
- You have a deal that you are VERY interested in doing
- He has expressed that he is at least open to waiving, including for certain teams.

If on the other hands
- You don't have a deal that is good enough
- Or the player has been clear, in any communications, he has no interest in waiving


Then I don't see the point in bringing it up with him.

In a case like with Kuzy it's very different
- The player was not playing regularly
- He is at the end of his contract

Therefore the team doesn't have to be as worried about the long-term implications of asking him to waive, and the player is probably very open to a change to get a better opportunity.

You make some valid points. I think there is a way to go about asking him to waive.

Honestly though, the guy is a competitor who wants to win. It really makes sense for both sides.

[dammage79]

Wasn't it the Panthers that just up and ditched Gallant in a Hotel lobby back in the day?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

You make some valid points. I think there is a way to go about asking him to waive.

Honestly though, the guy is a competitor who wants to win. It really makes sense for both sides.

What way?
If you have a specific deal and team, then yes you go to him and ask, if you think the deal is worth it.

Are you imagining something different?

I would say the guy is a competitor who wants to win, but he's also a guy focused on his family, who has moved his extended family out here.

Saying it makes sense for both sides is making a massive assumption.

You seem to be frustrated with how this is being handled so I'm trying to narrow in on precisely what the source of that is.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

What way?
If you have a specific deal and team, then yes you go to him and ask if the deal is worth it.

Are you imagining something different?

I would say the guy is a competitor who wants to win, but he's also a guy focused on his family, who has moved his extended family out here.

Saying it makes sense for both sides is making a massive assumption.

You seem to be frustrated with how this is being handled so I'm trying to narrow in on precisely what the source of that is.

I just think he is a competitor. From everything I have read about him, winning is important. It is why we were all happy with the signing in the first place.

My frustration all started with the rumor of us being offered like two 1sts and a good prospect at the deadline and us not even asking him. Because we wanted to make playoffs. Again, just a rumor but that was my frustration initially.

People assume I hate Kadri. I have 6 Flames jerseys and Kadri is one of them. So it really isn't a personal vendetta, more just times have changed since he first signed.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I just think he is a competitor. From everything I have read about him, winning is important. It is why we were all happy with the signing in the first place.

My frustration all started with the rumor of us being offered like two 1sts and a good prospect at the deadline and us not even asking him. Because we wanted to make playoffs. Again, just a rumor but that was my frustration initially.

People assume I hate Kadri. I have 6 Flames jerseys and Kadri is one of them. So it really isn't a personal vendetta, more just times have changed since he first signed.

That's all fine. Though I don't recall a rumor with a good prospect AND 2 1sts. I recall speculation the Flames could have gotten similar return to the Nelson deal, perhaps a little better.

But you aren't really answering my question.
I outlined specifically how I would handle it if I were the Flames.

What would you do differently?

Not in the past. Not with some speculated or rumored deals.
In the here and how. How do you think they should handle it?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Wasn't it the Panthers that just up and ditched Gallant in a Hotel lobby back in the day?

Yeah, and then cycled through two GMs and two coaches in short succession.

Still not sure how trading a player without trade protection is similar to trading Kadri. It’s not like the Flames’ reputation was harmed by not signing Tofolli even though he was mad about it.

[HitterD]

Originally Posted by mile

This one? About Conroy being the Chimpanzee?

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpo...postcount=1108

That’s the one I remember. Still more cryptic than I remember at the time haha

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

You make some valid points. I think there is a way to go about asking him to waive.

Honestly though, the guy is a competitor who wants to win. It really makes sense for both sides.

The guy is a competitor for sure, but he has already won it all. He has his cup ring and he has his retirement contract. He moved his extended family to Calgary in order to have them nearby. I think it is safe to assume that his priority is family over a second cup ring.

What probably makes the most sense to him is staying in Calgary where he has set down roots and likely owns multiple properties for his family.

After seeing the success of the Zary-Kadri-Pospisil line, it makes me wonder if he would be able to replace Backlund as the rookie mentor. That would be a pretty sweet way for him to play out the last 4 years of his career.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Wasn't it the Panthers that just up and ditched Gallant in a Hotel lobby back in the day?

That whole thing became a meme. In reality nothing happened according to Gallant, when he got canned he just decided to leave with a taxi and things got way overblown.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Players are asked to waive their NTC all the time. The Florida Panthers themselves traded part of their core in Huberdeau without consulting him. At the time many were saying Florida did him wrong and he was super upset they never asked him, and that players would remember how they treated him.

He didn't have trade protection and Zito had no ties to him. Had it been Tallon he would've re-signed Huberdeau 100%. I don't remember there being any grievances with the players.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by Sec214

I think Sec is expressing his frustration around the Kadri conversation in this thread.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Sec214

This is Kadri expressing his desire to remain a Flame. To prove it, he's willing to light himself on fire.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Unless I missed one, the last three gifs was:
Smoke coming out of the stack
Guy lighting a match
Guy dousing himself with gas

I thought we were going with a message about "where there is smoke there is fire" but the gasoline thing seems to go in a new direction. Unless the next step is to throw the match at the guy covered in gasoline and that is the final step to the trade!

First one was specifically white smoke coming out of a chimney at the Vatican announcing the election of a new pope, not sure whether the details are relevant in any way. Second one was likely that Kadri had lit a match of trade speculation with his comments on trade rumours involving himself. But I think the last one was a sign of frustration over certain posters repeating the same message over and over again, something along of the lines of "I can't take it any more, just kill me now".

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Wolven

The guy is a competitor for sure, but he has already won it all. He has his cup ring and he has his retirement contract. He moved his extended family to Calgary in order to have them nearby. I think it is safe to assume that his priority is family over a second cup ring.

What probably makes the most sense to him is staying in Calgary where he has set down roots and likely owns multiple properties for his family.

After seeing the success of the Zary-Kadri-Pospisil line, it makes me wonder if he would be able to replace Backlund as the rookie mentor. That would be a pretty sweet way for him to play out the last 4 years of his career.

The whole “he’s a competitor!” thing is silly anyway with the way it’s being framed. A guy who has a cup ring has already reached the pinnacle of the sport.

Is the guy who becomes a nomad and goes team hopping hoping for his best chance at a cup more competitive than anyone else in the sport who isn’t doing that? Hardly.

A real competitor is looking for a challenge. And a role he has on the Flames, trying to defy expectations, find success on a team that hasn’t had as much, and bring along the next batch of young guys is the exact kind of challenge a lot of real competitors would covet. And maybe when you’ve already won a cup, trying to do it again with the odds stacked higher against you is more exciting than just joining Florida and taking the easiest route (not that any routes are easy).

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Keeping so many vets just means we stay closer to the middle of the pack. Rather than getting a top 5 pick.

*massive sigh*

Some of you are just endless broken records eh.

Do you expect the flames to just.. gut the culture and leadership for a non-guaranteed shot at something in the top 5, which is also not guaranteed to pan out?

Burning all the boats for a lottery pick is adding problems to just get *a chance* at solving another.

They're going with the Dallas model, not San Jose/Chicago, who still look hapless after several seasons of drafting with top picks.

[Heavy Jack]

I think after the playoff performance Brad Marchand just threw down at the age he did it at we should be really patient when it comes to moving Kadri, especially with him also having cup pedigree, being a center and the cap going up. We could legitimately get a kings ransom for him if he replicates last year.