2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

I tend to stay out of these sorts of discussions these days, but I felt compelled to chime in here. Conroy has done absolutely nothing to make me feel as though your line of thinking is accurate. Since taking on this role, he’s done literally everything we’ve asked of him. He’s moved out almost every pending free agent, signed young players to long term contracts and brought in a ton of additional draft capital to the best draft high ceiling prospects available at the time. He’s actively avoided signing UFAs, runs a lean roster with a ton of salary space, made room for young players to make the team out of camps and has avoided actively trying to improve a team that has started the season on a historically poor trajectory.

He’s literally doing what we have asked of him. I see no reason to think he’s going to suddenly stop. We know the path the team are on, and so does he. By all accounts, he’s built strong relationships with the players and coaches, and I have no doubt he’s spoken to veterans about what’s next.

We as fans need to have some patience, stop overreacting at every little development and cheer the boys on as they continue to give their all in super challenging circumstances. The effort is still there, young players are being given chances to develop and vets are being moved when the time is right. Fingers crossed this leads to where we all want it to, draft high, bring in some real top end talent that will be insulated by a ton of depth at every position.

Sit back and enjoy the ride and just keep cheering. Enough with the judgment and negativity, this process is hard enough without adding that kind of stuff in.

You made some great points, thank you. I agree with what you said.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm confused - who said it was modified versus being this way all along (and people just having it down wrong)?



.

Royle in the game day thread

Originally Posted by Royle9

I think its a mutual decision from both sides.
Kadri would very much welcome a rebuild and ride out his time here helping the team do so, he's been very vocal about that.

But he see's the direction, and the value he brings in the market and will likely give Craig options to trade him if that's what CGY wants to do. I think in a perfect world he would choose to stay here, but he's not about sinking the Flames even further which is why he's been okay with modifying his clause.

Originally Posted by Royle9

Yes, he's modified his no move to a modified no-trade clause.

[GioforPM]

Thanks, I'm way behind.

[Ped]

Royle said he wasn't sure what exactly happened. You can't renegotiate a contract, so can you renegotiate a no-trade clause? Or did Kadri just say he'll waive it for a certain amount of teams?

[Royle9]

Ok I’ve got official clarification:

** Contract cannot be changed while under its current term, meaning you can’t officially restructure the NMC to a NTC, however the player can choose to waive this entirely**

The contract was structured originally to switch to a modified no trade clause this year, however it was the player that advised 13 team no trade and has likely submitted that list to CGY.

I do think Calgary is comfortable keeping Kadri based on his desire to do right by the team and rebuild, but I also believe as shared previously that if he’s asked to waive he will do so out of respect for Craig and the team.

[Badgers Nose]

More reason to love him, then.

After last year, with all that effort to make it and the subsequent miss, it has to be obvious to a guy like Naz that this team is missing some ingredients.

Sure, he’ll stay. But the project won’t be done before he is. And who can blame him for not wanting to be here for those cold meaningless Tuesday in January games?

[Manhattanboy]

I like Kadri.

[dammage79]

So to be clear, Kadri has activated his NMC clause for this year? So he's in effect anticipated that there's a greater than 50 percent chance there's a trade this year for him and has made Conroy's situation less complicated by having them ask him to waive?

Or, this all happened before the season started and still under the same pretence is anticipating that a trade would be likely this season.

[really?]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Ok I’ve got official clarification:

** Contract cannot be changed while under its current term, meaning you can’t officially restructure the NMC to a NTC, however the player can choose to waive this entirely**

The contract was structured originally to switch to a modified no trade clause this year, however it was the player that advised 13 team no trade and has likely submitted that list to CGY.

I do think Calgary is comfortable keeping Kadri based on his desire to do right by the team and rebuild, but I also believe as shared previously that if he’s asked to waive he will do so out of respect for Craig and the team.

If Kadri is willing to be part of a rebuild that will likely never yield fruit for him, then he is a rare individual and gets more of my respect than he already has. I’m sure there are a number of guys like this, but my experience is that people who are at the top of their respective food chain aren’t always wired to put others before personal demands and desires. If he’s that guy, you don’t move him unless he asks.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by really?

If Kadri is willing to be part of a rebuild that will likely never yield fruit for him, then he is a rare individual and gets more of my respect than he already has. I’m sure there are a number of guys like this, but my experience is that people who are at the top of their respective food chain aren’t always wired to put others before personal demands and desires. If he’s that guy, you don’t move him unless he asks.

True. I can understand his desire to stay though. He has his cup. His whole family is here. He gets to be the top line center with top line minutes and opportunities on this team and it could be that way for a while. Any team that’s going to trade for him is not going to give him that. Any contender that is wanting to acquire him will already have a top line center and, instead, want him to be their 2nd/3rd line center.

Where his view might change is if his role in the rebuild changes. For example, if he was told that they want to start transitioning to more opportunities for the young players and that he would likely start playing 2nd line minutes and powerplay, he might prefer to be traded. If he’s going to be a 2nd/3rd line player, it might as well be on a contending team instead of a rebuilding team.

[Badgers Nose]

He just made this easier for Conroy after all the chatter about asking Naz to waive last year.

Let him have his celebration and then move him for a haul to a contender so he can win a cup or two more.

Please don’t drag this out Flames. Please.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Ok I’ve got official clarification:

** Contract cannot be changed while under its current term, meaning you can’t officially restructure the NMC to a NTC, however the player can choose to waive this entirely**

The contract was structured originally to switch to a modified no trade clause this year, however it was the player that advised 13 team no trade and has likely submitted that list to CGY.

I do think Calgary is comfortable keeping Kadri based on his desire to do right by the team and rebuild, but I also believe as shared previously that if he’s asked to waive he will do so out of respect for Craig and the team.

I guess the Flames did not need to ask Kadri every single day and try to grind him down. I guess they did not need to threaten to trade Kadri to some ####ty team in order to get the flexibility to trade him. I guess they did not need to order him to revoke his contractual rights.

In a shocking development they merely had to treat him professionally, which of course they did as Conroy has been an absolute pro ever since he started the rebuild in June of 2023. Treating someone the right way was the secret sauce.

[memphusk]

Kadri also wants to win. No harm in that.

[All In Good Time]

Nice to see confirmation of our GM maintaining professional relationships. That always pays off.

[Harry Lime]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Kadri ends up retiring in Calgary, and we see him around town in alumni functions, for years, regardless of whether he is traded. He has ties to the city, and seems to legitimately like it here.

[Reign of Fire]

wrong thread

[Ashes]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Ok I’ve got official clarification:

** Contract cannot be changed while under its current term, meaning you can’t officially restructure the NMC to a NTC, however the player can choose to waive this entirely**

The contract was structured originally to switch to a modified no trade clause this year, however it was the player that advised 13 team no trade and has likely submitted that list to CGY.

I do think Calgary is comfortable keeping Kadri based on his desire to do right by the team and rebuild, but I also believe as shared previously that if he’s asked to waive he will do so out of respect for Craig and the team.

I think the term "good pro" gets thrown around a bit too much, but in this case.. Kadri sounds like a good pro.

Conroy also sounding like a competent GM and clearly has the pulse of the fanbase and good rapport w/ the players.

The way Kadri is starting to play, combined with his terrific season last year, I'll be dissapointed if he isn't traded as his value would be very high league-wide. But I can appreciate it probably won't happen in the next few weeks IMO.

I wonder if this is a Lindholm situation, where Craig works the phones leading up to the TDL and pulls the trigger on an overpay out of the blue a few weeks before.

[Sandman]

I wish there was a scenario where Detroit put their hat in the ring for one of our tradeables, to satiate Dylan Larkin (I believe it was he who lamented to the press last year that he wanted help) and get him some veteran assistance for the playoffs. They have so many good, young prospects and players that they could part with, without diminishing their deep stable much. Same situation with LA and Winnipeg.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I wish there was a scenario where Detroit put their hat in the ring for one of our tradeables, to satiate Dylan Larkin (I believe it was he who lamented to the press last year that he wanted help) and get him some veteran assistance for the playoffs. They have so many good, young prospects and players that they could part with, without diminishing their deep stable much. Same situation with LA and Winnipeg.

Sign me up for basically any trade with Detroit.

[kehatch]

Kadri is a guy you have to be careful with. He is 35 and signed for 3 more seasons after this one. He hasn't been consistent over the years. He plays a gritty style and only seems to excel when he works his tail off.

The Flames also have Backlund who 36 and signed for 2 more seasons after this. Add Frost and Zary and the C position is getting congested.

You need veteran leaders during a rebuild. But I would be careful. This could turn into another bad contract we can't move, and result in more situations where we can't find space to develop our Cs.