2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

I fail to understand how this is a difficult negotiation. Either he wants to extend or he doesn’t. Either Boston will agree to his contract terms or they won’t. How this can drag out for days is hard to comprehend.

The fact it is dragging out is encouraging. If Rasmus doesn't want to sign, this would be over. If they are too far apart on numbers, it would be over. But they could be finalizing details such as degree of trade protection he has going forward, etc.
It's likely an 8 year deal so it's a massive commitment from both sides.
Devils in the details.
If they are still talking, that's good.

[Jiggy_12]

Once the trades are complete, its boring. I enjoy the suspense of waiting for the deal and to see how much we can get back.

[Caged Great]

Well you also have to figure out things like bonus structure, no trade clauses no movement clauses etc and all the particulars of all those things. Textbooks like the Monahan trade conditions don’t magically appear, takes a lot of back and forth.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by LouCypher

It's like being told dinner is coming and then waiting for 5 days while you starve.

In all fairness, the fact that it's taking longer should mean good things for us!

Well, it's like being told that dinner is coming by someone else sitting at the dining table, and not someone involved in cooking the dinner. At best a couple people have looked through to the kitchen and made guesses.

But who wants an undercooked piece of chicken?

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

I fail to understand how this is a difficult negotiation. Either he wants to extend or he doesn’t. Either Boston will agree to his contract terms or they won’t. How this can drag out for days is hard to comprehend.

Have you ever negotiated an NHL contract? Or any other contract worth, say, US $70 Million? That’s how.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

I fail to understand how this is a difficult negotiation. Either he wants to extend or he doesn’t. Either Boston will agree to his contract terms or they won’t. How this can drag out for days is hard to comprehend.

It might not be dragging and Boston might be out and we don’t know yet. If they are still talking then that’s a good thing as it means some sort of negotiation is going on. If the rental prices aren’t that great right now then he won’t move for a while.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bonded

It might not be dragging and Boston might be out and we don’t know yet. If they are still talking then that’s a good thing as it means some sort of negotiation is going on. If the rental prices aren’t that great right now then he won’t move for a while.

Plus, I've been in plenty of negotiations where someone said "gimme a couple days to think about it". And those deals didn't involve relocation of someone's family.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

I fail to understand how this is a difficult negotiation. Either he wants to extend or he doesn’t. Either Boston will agree to his contract terms or they won’t. How this can drag out for days is hard to comprehend.

A new team entered the chatroom and thus it is not a 1:1 conversation between Andersson and Boston.

Andersson could say to Boston "I want $9M" and they are unsure if they want to do that but the new team could be saying yes up front because they know Andersson will be at least that much on July 1st... or he'll want a bigger AAV because he is going to lose a year of term.

Then Boston has to reconsider their position because the other team is saying yes and their original position of trying to lowball Andersson a bit isn't working.

I am guessing it is a LOT of back and forth.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Muta

I just want to know the offer that Sec heard that he got unusually excited about. It's living in my head rent-free right now.

It will never come to fruition so why torture yourself? He’s not going to extend with anyone but Vegas. He will go as a rental for a late first (likely not even 2026) and a crap prospect.

The fanbase on CP will turn on him but he won’t care cause ultimately he goes where he wants.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

I fail to understand how this is a difficult negotiation. Either he wants to extend or he doesn’t. Either Boston will agree to his contract terms or they won’t. How this can drag out for days is hard to comprehend.

That is not correct at all - of course he wants to extend, he needs a new contract. But not all contracts are created equal - if he is being offered 8X$7.5 and he thinks he can get 8X$9 or something close to that, why would he sign for $7.5M?

A lot of people have been speculating about which cities he may or may not want to live in, but that misses the mark, IMO (or at least misses a very big part of it). Yes, there will be places he probably has no interest in. And yes, there are likely places that he definitely IS interested in. However, pretty much every NHL city is nice, when you're making $7-8M per. And for (almost) any city, he can easily be talked into living there, for the right price.

The issue is this: for the teams offering him an extension, are they offering enough to convince him that it isn't worth going to UFA? If the Bruins offer him 8X$9M, I strongly suspect that Boston will become his new favourite city! If the Bruins don't, but San Jose (or whichever) does, THAT will become a lovely place to want to live!

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by 868904

It will never come to fruition so why torture yourself? He’s not going to extend with anyone but Vegas. He will go as a rental for a late first (likely not even 2026) and a crap prospect.

The fanbase on CP will turn on him but he won’t care cause ultimately he goes where he wants.

Sadly I think this is exactly where it’s headed and thought as much when Lebrun was reporting it back in June. I’ll hold out hope for something better.

But come July 1st we’ll probably be having the “when do you extend or trade your player” conversation again

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Unfortunately it seems like the Flames will miss out on some pretty decent returns simply because Rasmus won't extend with certain teams, which is not surprising. My bet is the Bruins deal will fall through because in the end they won't be able to come to terms on an extension. Ras might want to extend there, but it's possible they won't agree to his contract ask.

My guess is after all of this, he'll end up going somewhere as a rental for a late 1st and some mid prospect. Then in the off season he signs with Vegas for less than what he was rumored to be asking for from other teams. Vegas gets their guy on a lesser contract without having to give anything up in a trade.

And while we're happy we got a return for him in a rental trade, we get to ruminate over the speculated returns that were leaked during this whole process and the better prospects and picks we likely missed out on.

Even if that happens, I don't think anyone is going to "ruminate" over the speculated returns for more than a week or two. Take Markstrom for example, I don't see anyone talking about Mercer.

Just enjoy the ride while it lasts, journey before destination.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by OmegaV4

To our insiders:


Thank you for all of your periodic updates, no matter how teasing they may be.


Secondly:


From your sources, and what you're able to share, are the offers that you're hearing close to what the rumors have been? When the trade happens, will Calgarypuck implode with either "ITS NOT ENOUGH" or "ITS A HOME RUN"

I'm not an insider but I think the correct answer is both.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by LouCypher

It's like being told dinner is coming and then waiting for 5 days while you starve.

In all fairness, the fact that it's taking longer should mean good things for us!

When dinner arrives I swear if you once criticize the pork chop, baked potato and string bean …

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Plus, I've been in plenty of negotiations where someone said "gimme a couple days to think about it". And those deals didn't involve relocation of someone's family.

Yup, a lot of people on here have probably taken a weekend to think about changing companies.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Yup, a lot of people on here have probably taken a weekend to think about changing companies.

Yeah I take about 5 minutes when I do it, however it’s 7 times a day

[Reign of Fire]

Feels like we have seen this movie before. Pure speculation, but it seems Rasmus isn't signing an extension. Otherwise with all the smoke, deal would've been done by now. Hope I am wrong, but it starting to get that feeling. Contracts get signed faster during free agency and I bet his will be the first to drop on July 1.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Sadly I think this is exactly where it’s headed and thought as much when Lebrun was reporting it back in June. I’ll hold out hope for something better.

But come July 1st we’ll probably be having the “when do you extend or trade your player” conversation again

But it was debunked by Conroy and Andersson... why do you believe Lebrun over those two?

[Royle9]

I think it’s more so figuring out term and if the number starts with an 8 or 9.
The deal was already leaked, and it wasn’t immediately refuted by anyone.

It’s essentially Rasmus one and only time to cash in, so you can’t blame him for making sure he picks the right spot. Don’t forget the goal for him is to win a cup, so finding a team that’s in and around it is ideal.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

Feels like we have seen this movie before. Pure speculation, but it seems Rasmus isn't signing an extension. Otherwise with all the smoke, deal would've been done by now. Hope I am wrong, but it starting to get that feeling. Contracts get signed faster during free agency and I bet his will be the first to drop on July 1.

Understandable to feel that way, but if he had no intention of signing an extension, why pretend, why drag this on?

That is not the kind of person Andersson is.