2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

You continue to lack reading ability, but sure be mad about nothing!

No one is mad - that is just a ridiculous and lazy rebuttal. And also the personal insult - a two-fer, well done!

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I was someone who said Ras wouldn't get a 1st. I said it in the summer time. I stand by that being the truth at the time. Indeed, people did say it was "irrational" at the time, but those very same posters then (basically) all said that we wouldn't have gotten what we got for Ras in the summer, so I feel vindicated that the position was correct.

You said they wouldn't get a 1st - pretty much everyone disagrees with you on that.

Somehow, you come to the conclusion from people saying we wouldn't have gotten a 1st + 2nd + Whitecloud (at least another 2nd) is somehow proof that you were right. You might want to work on the logic here, before you start claiming others lack reading disability.

Also, how about learning to post civility, and stop with the garbage?

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I don't think that Whitecloud is as objectively good nor has the reputation of Tanev, and we were unable to get more than a 2nd and d prospect for him. Maybe you argue that the additional contract year provides more value but it's not a super bargain contract or anything.

Tanev also had the risk of falling apart at any minute. The lack of RD on the market should help the Flames if they choose to trade him

[Suave]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I don't think that Whitecloud is as objectively good nor has the reputation of Tanev, and we were unable to get more than a 2nd and d prospect for him. Maybe you argue that the additional contract year provides more value but it's not a super bargain contract or anything.

I think the comparable for Whitecloud is the Schenn deal from last year.

WINNIPEG, March 7, 2025 – The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club announced today they have acquired defenceman Luke Schenn from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the Jets second-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft and fourth-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft.

[Spurly]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I think his contract and play is probably closer to that of Carlo than that of Zadorov. The contract, usage, RH shot, and play style are very similar.

I also think Zadorov is probably the one deal where Conroy just sold ASAP to get the guy out of the locker room.

He could have fetched more than a 3rd if they waited until the deadline for sure, but also not directly as comparable as a rental vs Whitecloud who has term on a very attractive deal.

Agreed. Zack is very underrated.
Also Zadorov asked for a trade. It became public, he screwed the team, out of a better return.

[Sofa GM]

Is Brandon Carlo viewed as better than Zach Whitecloud? Tre overpaid but I don't see much difference between the two players.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

I want to see Coleman to Tampa for O'Reilly. I think he looks like a quality 3/4 line C.
We can add a depth D if necessary.

What about Kadri to BOS for 1st and Poitras?

This would give us 2 C prospects on the precipice of making the league.
We need to get some ripe C prospects in the system instead of draft picks that are 5 years away from the show.

Two righties, to boot. And not talking the Jay Random type of righties.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Suave

I think the comparable for Whitecloud is the Schenn deal from last year.

WINNIPEG, March 7, 2025 – The Winnipeg Jets Hockey Club announced today they have acquired defenceman Luke Schenn from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for the Jets second-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft and fourth-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft.

He's better and younger than Schenn IMO.

I still think his value is likely somewhere between the Schenn deal (2nd + 4th) and the Carlo deal (1st + Minten).

The Carlo deal was an overpay but maybe you can get a similar bidding war when you decide to move Whitecloud, and by having no NTC that opens up a lot of options for where to move Whitecloud as well.

[Naitix]

I feel like Whitecloud could be worth a 1st if he has a good season. My preference would be to trade Pachal/Hanley and keep Whitecloud this season, then hope he has a good season under Huska and trade him next year for a 2nd+ or even a 1st. But then you are betting on if he will have a better season that he is rn

[Niemo]

2 2nds would be great in itself!

[Naitix]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I don't think that Whitecloud is as objectively good nor has the reputation of Tanev, and we were unable to get more than a 2nd and d prospect for him. Maybe you argue that the additional contract year provides more value but it's not a super bargain contract or anything.

IIRC Flames chose 2nd + grushnikov over a late 1st. Plus Tanev had quite the injury risk, and an expiring deal

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Naitix

IIRC Flames chose 2nd + grushnikov over a late 1st. Plus Tanev had quite the injury risk, and an expiring deal

That late first was also Edmonton and required the Flames to take on Ceci who had term. Conroy let him pick his shot and he chose Dallas, and I am more than okay with that.

[PaperBagger'14]

If I was in Conroys shoes I would be taking a long look at Whitecloud and asking myself “is this guy going to be part of our rebiggle?”. The only way I’d say yes he is a piece of the final rebiggled product is if he sees Zach as a leader in the future.

He doesn’t fit the age range for having untapped potential, he is what he is and that’s fine. He’s a decent defenseman who in 4+ years time should probably be middle pairing at best, likely bottom pairing. He better not be your ice time leader. He won’t be a PP guy at all, and will do some PK time.

His qualities could be replaced by much younger guys, as he doesn’t do anything elite. So what is the case for him? He’s the same age as Rasmus who we just jettisoned, he’s a good stay at home defenceman who is a black hole of offence, the only case I can see to keep him is as a mentor and leader. My issue with that is we are currently paying Huberdeau and Weegar leader level dollars and that’s too many underperforming cooks in the kitchen.

I don’t see space on this teams leadership for Zach, and his age/skillset makes him replaceable, so I think his best contribution to the team would be the draft capital we could get for him.

[dino7c]

EF said he thinks Whiteclouds value is "more than a 2nd"

[SuperMatt18]

I'd be in no rush to move him for a 2nd - he could stay until next deadline for that.

If you get a 1st that starts the discussion, getting a 1st + and then you're laughing as you fax in the trade.

If I'm Conroy and teams are calling me I'm using the Carlo comp as my starting point.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

His qualities could be replaced by much younger guys, as he doesn’t do anything elite.

Much younger guys aren't as good defensively as he is. They don't have the experience, and the majority of them never actually do reach that level. There's a reason why Cassidy, who is no dummy, trusted Whitecloud with more even-strength minutes than any other D on his team.

Seems to me you've lost sight of the part of a defenceman's game where he has to, you know, defend.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

This cliche always makes me laugh. I'd drive any Flame to the airport if they asked.

Clearly you're a nicer person than me.

Now if Anne Hathaway asked me....

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Much younger guys aren't as good defensively as he is. They don't have the experience, and the majority of them never actually do reach that level. There's a reason why Cassidy, who is no dummy, trusted Whitecloud with more even-strength minutes than any other D on his team.

Seems to me you've lost sight of the part of a defenceman's game where he has to, you know, defend.

An important part of my post was the phrase “in 4+ years time”. I intended that to imply that one of our younger guys could grow into that role in the future. Could that be Bahl? Maybe. Brzu? Possibly but that’s a bit overly optimistic. Whitecloud is already too old to be anything more than a bottom pairing mentor in 4+ years when this team should hopefully be starting its contention window.

[robertsfanatic]

looking at current lineup and our biggest trade chips, we need to parlay this into a young C (either using the players or the capital acquired)....i know, i know, captain obvious but it would be amazing!

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

An important part of my post was the phrase “in 4+ years time”. I intended that to imply that one of our younger guys could grow into that role in the future. Could that be Bahl? Maybe. Brzu? Possibly but that’s a bit overly optimistic. Whitecloud is already too old to be anything more than a bottom pairing mentor in 4+ years when this team should hopefully be starting its contention window.

Whitecloud will be 33 in four years. Was Tanev too old to be anything more than a bottom-pairing guy at 33? Was Giordano? Weegar is 32; is he just one year away from being a bottom-pairing player?

But to me, that isn't even the real issue. The real issue is that you need to have some good defensive defencemen now, to shelter the young players and give them someone to learn from by example. Weegar isn't really that type of player, and Hanley isn't really an everyday NHLer. That leaves Bahl and Whitecloud, and if you trade Whitecloud now it just leaves Bahl. That's not enough, to my mind.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Whitecloud will be 33 in four years. Was Tanev too old to be anything more than a bottom-pairing guy at 33? Was Giordano? Weegar is 32; is he just one year away from being a bottom-pairing player?

But to me, that isn't even the real issue. The real issue is that you need to have some good defensive defencemen now, to shelter the young players and give them someone to learn from by example. Weegar isn't really that type of player, and Hanley isn't really an everyday NHLer. That leaves Bahl and Whitecloud, and if you trade Whitecloud now it just leaves Bahl. That's not enough, to my mind.

The problem is what they really need is to find a LH version of a Tanev / Whitecloud to pair with Parekh / Brzustewicz.

Ideally next year your longer term d-core is probably something like

Kuznetsov - Weegar
Bahl - Parekh
??? - Brzustewicz

If you could trade Whitecloud, who carries a premium as RH dman, and maybe even sign somebody like Ferraro to play on the LH side as a UFA (Flames have long been rumored to like Ferraro) then that would be ideal.

But you don't need to rush to move Whitecloud - unless somebody aggressively comes with a 1st or 1st+ then I think you hold. A 2nd round pick isn't enough to rush to move him now.