2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Ped]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Highest paid player in the NHL was a 5th rounder

Which is why I didn't say it wasn't possible, just not a strong possibility at this point - in other words, while it could happen, it's not something to be counted on.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Highest paid player in the NHL was a 5th rounder

I think it’s interesting that 4 of the top 10 highest paid players were picked 15th or later.

I agree it’s not something you can count on, but I also think it lends itself to the argument that a top 5 pick is not necessarily something you need.

That’s why I’m more interested in and excited by seeing how the Flames’ picks pan out than I am worried about staying miserable because they aren’t picking where I think they should.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

That’s why I’m more interested in and excited by seeing how the Flames’ picks pan out than I am worried about staying miserable because they aren’t picking where I think they should.

This is the way.

Flames will never pick 1 OA while we have Wolf and this defence/system.

Might as well enjoy this approach to building a contender and let’s see where it goes. I’ll give CC the benefit of the doubt.

And, if it results in successive seasons of mid after this one, I volunteer to lead the angry torches and pitchforks mob.

[1qqaaz]

I believe that every cup winning team in the cap era has had a top 5 pick, except for Detroit in 2008.
So you could argue that it's a necessity in the modern NHL.

But the Flames have Huberdeau, so that box is technically checked.

[442scotty]

Flames have a couple more top 5. Parekh and Gridin. Everyone else just missed out on them

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Exactly.

Andersson + winger prospect + vegas 1st for a #1C would be a good starting point for the Flames to trade out from positions of depth (RD, Wing, 1st round picks) to get the position they need the most. It certainly helps that the wingers are showing well in this preseason.

The value may not be bad, but what team is trading a #1 centre for that package?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Ped

Which is why I didn't say it wasn't possible, just not a strong possibility at this point - in other words, while it could happen, it's not something to be counted on.

Sure but if 5th rounders have a chance late firsts have an even better chance

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

To me that is Klapka at this point. This camp to me he looks more like a 13th forward than the guy we saw at the last quarter of the previous season.

Lets see when the games get more serious coming up

[Roko]

Seattle has a glory of project centres. It’s too bad they are so desperate for scoring

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I think it’s interesting that 4 of the
top 10 highest paid players were picked 15th or later..

McDavid and Eichel are UFA's this summer Bedard is an RFA. Cale Makar next. That whole thing will shift towards the top end of the drafts soon. Bedard has a big break out season he's going to get paid

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by traptor

Hub4deau is not elite. Man we are starved for real skill,the bar has gotten so low.


Hes 3 season of a 62 points of below. He hasn't shown elite skill his entire time here.
And dont give me this BS of no talent here. Gaudreau and Pasta put 100+ pts with lindholm as their center. Its not like Kadri is some talentless schmuck. plus Huberdeau is paid to be THE driver.

Gaudreau was given free-reign by Sutter to play however he wanted, and the gameplan for his line was mostly designed around his strengths and ability to carry the puck. Whereas Huberdeau, for whatever reason, has not received that luxury from Sutter or Huska at any point in time.

There's been enough analysis from league pundits on how the Flames need to tweak their system to utilize Huberdeau's strengths that Sutter/Huska were/are not doing for whatever reason - e.g. positioning him at the half-wall in the offensive zone, playing through center ice to give him seams when he has the puck along the wall in the neutral zone, constantly having a trailing defense to give him another option in the offensive zone, relentless forecheck with constant pressure and player movement to create chaos, etc.

It's incredibly bizarre (and embarrassing) that the Flames took a premier playmaker who averaged 56 assists per 82 games for eight seasons, and pay him $10.5M per year to be a relatively defensively responsible net front presence. No star player would thrive or effectively drive the play in an environment like that

[Sandman]

Huby’s 115-point season was also inflated somewhat by playing in Andrew Brunette’s system, that heavily favoured the attack. They looked like they were quite free-wheeling that year.

[CFO]

Huberdeau would be a near ppg player if the flames had a much better PP. Hard to be a ppg player with a pp typically in bottom 10, if not bottom 5. The flames need a sniper and a legit PP quarterback. Hopefully coronato and parehk improve that greatly this season.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Huby’s 115-point season was also inflated somewhat by playing in Andrew Brunette’s system, that heavily favoured the attack. They looked like they were quite free-wheeling that year.

Florida went from scoring 340 goals that last Huberdeau year to 290 the next and then to 268 and 252 in their two stanley cup seasons. Talent and points is important but a strong two way system, especially for playoff hockey, is even more important.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

The value may not be bad, but what team is trading a #1 centre for that package?

It would have to be one of the teams that are loaded on Cs and need a top pair RD immediately. There are a few of them now: Sharks, Ducks, Sabres (lol), Stars, and to a lesser degree the Red Wings, Hurricanes, and Mammoth.

With the C depth that each of these teams have they are either going to be putting a guy who could be a #1/2C on the third line or pushing them to the wing. If you believe the rumours around McTavish, these guys actually are not a fan of being forced to play wing because the organization created a logjam at C.

Just as an example, Celebrini has locked down the #1C position on the Sharks and last season they were trying to establish Smith as the #2C. Throwing Misa into the mix means you now have three guys for two spots and someone is going to have to yield. (Smith would be the obvious choice as he was playing on the wing already)

Whichever one of these guys is not your #1C or your #2C is expendable and should be moved for whatever package addresses the gaps in your depth chart. In the case of the Sharks, they not only have Celebrini, Smith, and Misa but they also have Bystedt running the clock on his ELC and no room on the Sharks depth chart for him.

Side note: Cap considerations will also become a problem for these teams. Kaprizov just signed for $17M. McDavid is probably going to get $18-20M? The Sharks are going to have 6 or 7 star players? That is going to be very unlikely to keep everyone and with so many of them being forwards they will quickly start having problems around not having any money for their D group.

Most people here understand the theory: Draft BPA and then get ready to trade from positions of strength to address positions of weakness. In practice though, the GMs seem to get scared of trading away one of their young star players and would rather just hope that having 3-4 top 6 centres makes up for not having a well built D group.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

He's the same guy that was elite in FLA, just older.

If he gets back to pt/game then I would call that elite. Has not happened yet, doesn't mean it can't. He has a good attitude. Skill is still there. He is super fit.

First time I have heard that Huberdeau is super fit. Doesn’t really seem like it to me (in relation to other NHLers, not ordinary Joes).

Anyway he has been beaten up enough. I really don’t consider him elite at all, but he can still be useful to this team hopefully. Maybe he can find some magic with these young forwards coming up in the system.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Wolven

It would have to be one of the teams that are loaded on Cs and need a top pair RD immediately. There are a few of them now: Sharks, Ducks, Sabres (lol), Stars, and to a lesser degree the Red Wings, Hurricanes, and Mammoth.

With the C depth that each of these teams have they are either going to be putting a guy who could be a #1/2C on the third line or pushing them to the wing. If you believe the rumours around McTavish, these guys actually are not a fan of being forced to play wing because the organization created a logjam at C.

Just as an example, Celebrini has locked down the #1C position on the Sharks and last season they were trying to establish Smith as the #2C. Throwing Misa into the mix means you now have three guys for two spots and someone is going to have to yield. (Smith would be the obvious choice as he was playing on the wing already)

Whichever one of these guys is not your #1C or your #2C is expendable and should be moved for whatever package addresses the gaps in your depth chart. In the case of the Sharks, they not only have Celebrini, Smith, and Misa but they also have Bystedt running the clock on his ELC and no room on the Sharks depth chart for him.

Side note: Cap considerations will also become a problem for these teams. Kaprizov just signed for $17M. McDavid is probably going to get $18-20M? The Sharks are going to have 6 or 7 star players? That is going to be very unlikely to keep everyone and with so many of them being forwards they will quickly start having problems around not having any money for their D group.

Most people here understand the theory: Draft BPA and then get ready to trade from positions of strength to address positions of weakness. In practice though, the GMs seem to get scared of trading away one of their young star players and would rather just hope that having 3-4 top 6 centres makes up for not having a well built D group.

Misa can play LW and Smith can play RW. They're not just going to trade one for the sake of trading one.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Highest paid player in the NHL was a 5th rounder

Someone wins the lottery every week. Are you going to make it your retirement strategy?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Someone wins the lottery every week. Are you going to make it your retirement strategy?

The strategy is to have a ton of draft picks...including multiple firsts every year. There are tons of stars in the NHL outside of the top 5 picks not just one or two. (I mean the Flames have one...and counting)

Its also an ironic post if your preferred strategy is suck and win lotteries

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

Florida went from scoring 340 goals that last Huberdeau year to 290 the next and then to 268 and 252 in their two stanley cup seasons. Talent and points is important but a strong two way system, especially for playoff hockey, is even more important.

100%, which is why Brunette didn’t last there, and perhaps why Nashville is having their struggles (though his first year there was quite successful).