2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Toonage]

Zary to C, Backlund to the 4L, Kirkland out and Robertson fits

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Overflowing with wingers

None of those wingers are anywhere near his caliber though.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Man if the Flames managed to move Kadri for futures they could conceivably replace Kadri with Seguin; taking that contract on would be worth a ton to Dallas too… so many moving parts and two massive trades just seems like something that wouldn’t happen all at once but it’s fun to imagine!

To Montreal
Kadri
Pospisil

To Calgary
26 1st top 10 protected
27 3rd
Hage

To Dallas
Andersson 50% retained + extended
Coleman 25 % retained
Pachal

To Calgary
Robertson
Seguin 15 % retained
Bischel
26 1st top 10 protected
27 3rd

Robertson - Seguin - Coronato
Huberdeau - Zary/Frost - Sharangovich
Farabee - Zary/Frost - Gridin (dark horse to make the team)
Lomberg - Backlund - Klapka
Kirkland, King

Weegar - Hanley
Bahl - Parekh
Bischel - Brzustewicz
Bean, Miromanov

Wolf
Prosvetov, Cooley

I think the only thing less likely in this proposal than Kadri waiving to go to Montreal would be Seguin waiving to leave Dallas. After 12 years in Dallas, Seguin is sure to know that the team is close to the cup. He'll use his NMC to stay there for 2 more years and then he'll probably pull a Benn and stay on for super cheap.

Other problems, the Stars have already traded away their 2026 1st and Pachal is redundent with Lyubushkin and Lundkvist already on the Stars.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Why don't we have room for Robertson?

Huberdeau at $10.5M x 6 more years.

At team doesn't want $20+M tied up on the LW. They want that money committed to C.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Huberdeau at $10.5M x 6 more years.

At team doesn't want $20+M tied up on the LW. They want that money committed to C.

Well, if you can't get that unicorn you might as well beef up what you can to support what you have down the middle.

I'm of the belief they should use Andersson to snag a center but arobertsons the kind of young top line player that can prop up any center to look like a passable #1. At least that's be the hope.

Robertson-Frost-Coronato could be a lethal top line.
Huberdeau-Kadri-pick your poison is a good 2nd line.

[prizefighterinferno]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Huberdeau at $10.5M x 6 more years.

At team doesn't want $20+M tied up on the LW. They want that money committed to C.

I get what you're saying but the Stars currently have almost 22 million allocated to their top 2 RWs, one of those being Seguin so I don't think the money tied up on the wing is an issue until...well, it becomes an issue.

In the current cap environment and with the number of expiring (or easily moveable) contracts the flames have over the next couple years, I don't think adding Robertson and giving him 11 million dollars or whatever would necessarily stop you from being able to add/pay top 6 Cs should the chance arise.

If I had to guess at the idealistic path forward, the big swing the Flames will try to make in FA that has the best chance to add a franchise changer will be Makar (two more years, Colorado window closing, Flames on the upswing with a new building opening right when he hits FA, local guy with strong ties to the community, etc.) and they'll hope their own drafted and developed guys can fill those C spots moving forward, in which case they'll be working through ELCs and will be cheap until about 2029.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Well, if you can't get that unicorn you might as well beef up what you can to support what you have down the middle.

I'm of the belief they should use Andersson to snag a center but arobertsons the kind of young top line player that can prop up any center to look like a passable #1. At least that's be the hope.

Robertson-Frost-Coronato could be a lethal top line.
Huberdeau-Kadri-pick your poison is a good 2nd line.

Pretty sure you'd have said the same thing about Huberdeau before he landed here (aside from maybe the young part).

[Vinny01]

I don’t really see Robertson as a long term fit here but depending on what the Flames add to the deal it would be a clear win for them if it was one for one even if he was flipped at the deadline to a team that signs him like the Stars did Rantanen. They would certainly get more than what they could get for Andersson elsewhere

[howard_the_duck]

Please no more building through wingers. We've seen this movie before.

I'd much prefer our tradeable assets are used to acquire a young center, draft picks, or prospects.

Die on that hill, Connie. By hook or by crook, get us the Center that's evaded this franchise since Nieuwendyk left.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Huberdeau at $10.5M x 6 more years.

At team doesn't want $20+M tied up on the LW. They want that money committed to C.

There is still plenty of money even with those two wingers for a #1 C.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Please no more building through wingers. We've seen this movie before.

I'd much prefer our tradeable assets are used to acquire a young center, draft picks, or prospects.

Die on that hill, Connie. By hook or by crook, get us the Center that's evaded this franchise since Nieuwendyk left.

If the Flames can somehow get Robertson for Andersson they have to make that deal since they are acquiring a far more valuable asset than they are giving up. I agree locking into Robertson would be a mistake but a mutual pump and dump could get Robertson paid where he wants to go and the Flames a boatload of assets greater than what they would get for Andersson today.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Rantanen pretty much takes Robertson's spot.

I am really curious about this line of thinking.

Rantanen = RW
Robertson = LW

The Stars are deep in C but not in the wings. On CapWages the hypothetical lines for the Stars right now are:

Robertson(LW)-Hintz(C)-Rantanen(RW)
Duchene(C)-Johnston(C)-Seguin(C)
Benn(LW)-Steel(C)-Bourque(C)
Back(LW)-Faksa(C)-Blackwell(C)

I listed the position that each player played more than 50% of last season.

As it is right now that second line is all Cs and with Bourque playing wing on the third line, that lineup shows 4 centers playing on the wing. If Robertson comes out that means Duchene is now your top LW? Benn is second line LW?

I know you guys keep saying that Johnston is untouchable but with the number of Cs on that list and the lack of LW depth behind Robertson, I would prioritize signing Robertson to a big contract and moving out a C to try and get top 4 RD support and a middle 6 winger.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

There is still plenty of money even with those two wingers for a #1 C.

No we really don't we don't want to Treliving our team when it comes time to sign Parekh.

We still have Wolf and Zary left to sign. If you add in Robertson to that mix that is 12M committed to a winger who really doesn't take over a game for that type of salary.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I am really curious about this line of thinking.

Rantanen = RW
Robertson = LW

The Stars are deep in C but not in the wings. On CapWages the hypothetical lines for the Stars right now are:

Robertson(LW)-Hintz(C)-Rantanen(RW)
Duchene(C)-Johnston(C)-Seguin(C)
Benn(LW)-Steel(C)-Bourque(C)
Back(LW)-Faksa(C)-Blackwell(C)

I listed the position that each player played more than 50% of last season.

As it is right now that second line is all Cs and with Bourque playing wing on the third line, that lineup shows 4 centers playing on the wing. If Robertson comes out that means Duchene is now your top LW? Benn is second line LW?

I know you guys keep saying that Johnston is untouchable but with the number of Cs on that list and the lack of LW depth behind Robertson, I would prioritize signing Robertson to a big contract and moving out a C to try and get top 4 RD support and a middle 6 winger.

Robertson likely wants a Marner contract at least where Johnston is younger and signed for 5 years at $8.5M. I am not sure which of their other C’s is getting a top 4 RHD? Bourque++ maybe

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by prizefighterinferno

I get what you're saying but the Stars currently have almost 22 million allocated to their top 2 RWs, one of those being Seguin so I don't think the money tied up on the wing is an issue until...well, it becomes an issue.

In the current cap environment and with the number of expiring (or easily moveable) contracts the flames have over the next couple years, I don't think adding Robertson and giving him 11 million dollars or whatever would necessarily stop you from being able to add/pay top 6 Cs should the chance arise.

If I had to guess at the idealistic path forward, the big swing the Flames will try to make in FA that has the best chance to add a franchise changer will be Makar (two more years, Colorado window closing, Flames on the upswing with a new building opening right when he hits FA, local guy with strong ties to the community, etc.) and they'll hope their own drafted and developed guys can fill those C spots moving forward, in which case they'll be working through ELCs and will be cheap until about 2029.

Seguin played 94% of last season at C.
Hintz played 81% of last season at C.
Duchene played 72% of last season at C.
Johnston played 54% of last season at C.

I'm not sure that Seguin should be labeled as a winger. He definitely had a shortened season with 20 regular season games and 18 playoff games.... but 94% is a big percentage. In the regular season he took 130 faceoffs and in the playoffs it was 117.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I am really curious about this line of thinking.

Rantanen = RW
Robertson = LW

The Stars are deep in C but not in the wings. On CapWages the hypothetical lines for the Stars right now are:

Robertson(LW)-Hintz(C)-Rantanen(RW)
Duchene(C)-Johnston(C)-Seguin(C)
Benn(LW)-Steel(C)-Bourque(C)
Back(LW)-Faksa(C)-Blackwell(C)

I listed the position that each player played more than 50% of last season.

As it is right now that second line is all Cs and with Bourque playing wing on the third line, that lineup shows 4 centers playing on the wing. If Robertson comes out that means Duchene is now your top LW? Benn is second line LW?

I know you guys keep saying that Johnston is untouchable but with the number of Cs on that list and the lack of LW depth behind Robertson, I would prioritize signing Robertson to a big contract and moving out a C to try and get top 4 RD support and a middle 6 winger.

It's not the position on the ice, it's the position within the cap structure.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

If the Flames can somehow get Robertson for Andersson they have to make that deal since they are acquiring a far more valuable asset than they are giving up. I agree locking into Robertson would be a mistake but a mutual pump and dump could get Robertson paid where he wants to go and the Flames a boatload of assets greater than what they would get for Andersson today.

It's all hypothetical, but if the Flames get Robertson, something tells me it's not for a pump and dump. It'd be keying on this player as a long-term piece.

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Man if the Flames managed to move Kadri for futures they could conceivably replace Kadri with Seguin; taking that contract on would be worth a ton to Dallas too… so many moving parts and two massive trades just seems like something that wouldn’t happen all at once but it’s fun to imagine!

To Montreal
Kadri
Pospisil

To Calgary
26 1st top 10 protected
27 3rd
Hage

To Dallas
Andersson 50% retained + extended
Coleman 25 % retained
Pachal

To Calgary
Robertson
Seguin 15 % retained
Bischel
26 1st top 10 protected
27 3rd

Robertson - Seguin - Coronato
Huberdeau - Zary/Frost - Sharangovich
Farabee - Zary/Frost - Gridin (dark horse to make the team)
Lomberg - Backlund - Klapka
Kirkland, King

Weegar - Hanley
Bahl - Parekh
Bischel - Brzustewicz
Bean, Miromanov

Wolf
Prosvetov, Cooley

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

It's all hypothetical, but if the Flames get Robertson, something tells me it's not for a pump and dump. It'd be keying on this player as a long-term piece.

While I do not disagree I think the Flames would roll the dice to acquire him regardless due to the RFA rights after the season. The goal might be to sign him but an American from California might not want to stay.

[prizefighterinferno]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

While I do not disagree I think the Flames would roll the dice to acquire him regardless due to the RFA rights after the season. The goal might be to sign him but an American from California might not want to stay.

Tell that to Wolf!