2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Vinny01]

Interesting to hear Pat and Francis on FlamesTalk. Pat thinks 95% chance Coleman is traded but 50-50 on Kadri. Discussing Kadri’s contract is difficult to move. Might need to wait until the summer there when the retention slots open up. Less urgency to move Kadri with 3 seasons and 4 playoff runs left.

[devo22]

I get the "doesn't have to happen now" argument with Kadri, especially when you factor in the retention slots. But then again, he's 35 ... I'd rather cash in sooner than later.

[ComixZone]

Also,

Francis talking about how the Dallas model isn’t happening here, and that it’s going to take time and be a more traditional rebuild.

Steinberg talking about how by the opening of the new building the team won’t be good, but they’ll have the young players that sell excitement and that they’ll be on the upswing.

“This will take a little longer than we thought”

“It was a bit of pipe dream that they thought we could do it with one foot in, one foot out”

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Also,

Francis talking about how the Dallas model isn’t happening here, and that it’s going to take time and be a more traditional rebuild.

Steinberg talking about how by the opening of the new building the team won’t be good, but they’ll have the young players that sell excitement and that they’ll be on the upswing.

“This will take a little longer than we thought”

“It was a bit of pipe dream that they thought we could do it with one foot in, one foot out”

I think this is the kind of thing that drives Flames fans nuts. Pick a damn lane. Trying to do everything at once is how you end up with 35 years of mediocrity.

[Tbull8]

Hopefully they realize once McKenna/Stenberg/Dupont/Joseph jersey sales start up

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

I think this is the kind of thing that drives Flames fans nuts. Pick a damn lane. Trying to do everything at once is how you end up with 35 years of mediocrity.

If we're still under the belief that Francis and Steinberg know what's going on behind the scenes...the Flames have picked a lane.

It's patience. It's a rebuild, and all of us who have screaming for years can rest easy (as if we shouldn't already have been, seeing as it's been clear since Andersson that we know the direction without doubt at this stage).

Given that Pat has talked about how the tune really started to change around the organization in November/early December, we could maybe assume that the organization's belief that they could be Dallas was gone at that stage.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Also,

Francis talking about how the Dallas model isn’t happening here, and that it’s going to take time and be a more traditional rebuild.

Steinberg talking about how by the opening of the new building the team won’t be good, but they’ll have the young players that sell excitement and that they’ll be on the upswing.

“This will take a little longer than we thought”

“It was a bit of pipe dream that they thought we could do it with one foot in, one foot out”

Consider this

Edmonton drafted Hall Nuge and Yakupov first overall 2010-2012 over 3 consecutive drafts.

This is before the draft lottery rule came into place where you can’t win the lottery in consecutive years.

It will take a lot of luck and smarts to get back to playoff contention using the traditional rebuild model (tanking and selling everything).

We better be prepared for a lot of pain

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Five-hole

I think this is the kind of thing that drives Flames fans nuts. Pick a damn lane. Trying to do everything at once is how you end up with 35 years of mediocrity.

I think they had mostly picked a lane TBH when they moved Toffoli, Zadorov, Lindholm, Tanev, Hanifin, Markstrom and Mangiapane in a 12 month period.

Then I think they were tempted with a surprising winning season and some success. And generally this is where Canadian teams make a mistake and try to push chips in to succeed short term and abandon the rebuild.

I think the positive news is Conroy didn't abandon the plan entirely but maybe just paused it, and they didn't make any real moves for 18 months that were trying to compete or rebuilding moves.

But now with a poor season it sounds like the rebuild is back on again, and that's a good thing.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Consider this

Edmonton drafted Hall Nuge and Yakupov first overall 2010-2012 over 3 consecutive drafts.

This is before the draft lottery rule came into place where you can’t win the lottery in consecutive years.

It will take a lot of luck and smarts to get back to playoff contention using the traditional rebuild model (tanking and selling everything).

We better be prepared for a lot of pain

With Conroy at the helm, I think the pain will yield results though. Rebuilding pain is just the price paid by fans in the current NHL to build a winner. Accept it, and enjoy the bumpy ride.

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I think they had mostly picked a lane TBH when they moved Toffoli, Zadorov, Lindholm, Tanev, Hanifin, Markstrom and Mangiapane in a 12 month period.

Then I think they were tempted with a surprising winning season and some success. And generally this is where Canadian teams make a mistake and try to push chips in to succeed short term and abandon the rebuild.

I think the positive news is Conroy didn't abandon the plan entirely but maybe just paused it, and they didn't make any real moves for 18 months that were trying to compete or rebuilding moves.

But now with a poor season it sounds like the rebuild is back on again, and that's a good thing.

I think they believed in the players left enough that they thought they could quick pivot, and played that out over the last couple of seasons - and it didn't work, so now they pivot and they do it the other way. All good, but it was a painful process to get from Plan A to Plan B.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Consider this

Edmonton drafted Hall Nuge and Yakupov first overall 2010-2012 over 3 consecutive drafts.

This is before the draft lottery rule came into place where you can’t win the lottery in consecutive years.

It will take a lot of luck and smarts to get back to playoff contention using the traditional rebuild model (tanking and selling everything).

We better be prepared for a lot of pain

But also, if you look at the last 3 drafts there have been 2 elite talents and one generational player picked at the 1 spot.

I'll take our chances if we won the lottery!

I also think scouting is getting better every year. Look at all the data and advanced stats they have these days. I believe there is a greater chance at finding the elite talent in the draft at the top because of this.

[SuperMatt18]

There is no perfect path.

You have to draft well and maximize your assets that's how you build a winner.

Moving guys like Kadri and Coleman is part of maximizing assets, not some intentional move to tank.

[ComixZone]

Also, the 2nd part of Flames talk is effectively just Pat and Logan talking about what top of the draft/stars do for an organization.

They're whole hoggin' the rebuild talk at this stage. Pretty awesome to hear.

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

There is no perfect path.

You have to draft well and maximize your assets that's how you build a winner.

Moving guys like Kadri and Coleman is part of maximizing assets, not some intentional move to tank.

My biggest fear was that this Conroy build was not going to get the draft opportunity to round out their foundation. I fully believe that they have what it takes to build a good team through transactions/depth picks - but that generally only gets you so far. Mix them being good at that, plus the draft opportunity that we look in line to get? This management will have everything at their disposal to build a winner, it's exciting. It guarantees nothing, but it opens the door.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Consider this

Edmonton drafted Hall Nuge and Yakupov first overall 2010-2012 over 3 consecutive drafts.

This is before the draft lottery rule came into place where you can’t win the lottery in consecutive years.

It will take a lot of luck and smarts to get back to playoff contention using the traditional rebuild model (tanking and selling everything).

We better be prepared for a lot of pain

The amount of pain we experience will be directly related to finding two top six centers.

Personally believe our prospect base is quite good in every department other than center. Find an existing center we can trade for then we could be decent by the new building opening.

However if we are waiting on a drafted center it will probably be years.
My guess is Conroy is on any center that may be available for trade.

[Roko]

I’d be interested in taking a chance on Wright. We know how hard it’s been for Conroy to find his RH C that’s young. I don’t know what we could offer back but that would be a good add with Kadri leaving

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

If we're still under the belief that Francis and Steinberg know what's going on behind the scenes...the Flames have picked a lane.

It's patience. It's a rebuild, and all of us who have screaming for years can rest easy (as if we shouldn't already have been, seeing as it's been clear since Andersson that we know the direction without doubt at this stage).

Given that Pat has talked about how the tune really started to change around the organization in November/early December, we could maybe assume that the organization's belief that they could be Dallas was gone at that stage.

I still think Francis is a buffoon. I doubt anything will ever change that opinion, he's got too much history of being bad at this gig and is very unlikeable.

Pat I would listen to. I think that sentiment is interesting and it really feels like the shift has to do with the Weegar rumour.

Trading Andersson was assumed and trading Coleman before he goes UFA follows the same logic (although I am okay walking him to UFA). Trading Kadri makes sense as he'll be gone as the team pulls out of this rebuild (I am also okay walking him to UFA if he really wants to retire a Flame).

Trading Weegar is going that step further when you are really blowing it up and want to stay in the basement for a long time, not just for a couple of drafts. At that point you are no longer just kicking the legs out from under the table... now you are breaking the table top and throwing it into the fireplace.

Whitecloud might be a Weegar replacement in concept but I do not think he can do the job as well as Weegar, I really do not think a Whitecloud-Kuznetsov pairing can do what Weegar-Kuznetsov is doing. Keeping Weegar is a signal that we are loading up and trying to get into the playoffs by 2029.

Trading Weegar makes you think it'll be much longer and that is going to be tough for the existing young guys on the roster.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Roko

I’d be interested in taking a chance on Wright. We know how hard it’s been for Conroy to find his RH C that’s young. I don’t know what we could offer back but that would be a good add with Kadri leaving

They want too much for him basis rumours in a top line forward. They’ll be waiting on him to fulfill that

[ComixZone]

Wills "come on, Huberdeau is not a replacement level player...replacement players are not on pace to score 15 goals and 38 points"



...defending Huberdeau to any degree, with what he's done this year...is laughable.

(Wills was taking issue with people saying they should buy him out/waive him)

"I think Jonathan Huberdeau is a good player who is having a bad season"...and then continues on that "well, for Flames fans the thing is those have piled up"...uh, that makes him not a good player, Wills.

[memphusk]

Well, he was a good player and he is having a bad season. The problem is that it's not going to get much better. He is supposed to be a set up guy and he can't even get the puck out of his ####ing feet. When he does it's a blind pass to the moon.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by memphusk

Well, he was a good player and he is having a bad season. The problem is that it's not going to get much better. He is supposed to be a set up guy and he can't even get the puck out of his ####ing feet. When he does it's a blind pass to the moon.

For me it's not the bad passes, or the inability to carry the puck up the ice with speed like he used to in FLA, it's the GAF meter on some of the back checks. Whenever I see a player not moving his feet especially when he's behind the play on an odd-man rush against, I just want to bench him for the rest of the game. If Huberdeau brought 75% of what Coleman brings in terms of compete on a nightly basis, then I would have zero problems with the guy.

[bluejays]

I know it's a results based business and all, but I find the problem with many organizations, whether corporate owned or individually owned, is they have to meet certain goals and targets when doing things with ownership, likely to meet expectations with forecasting for income vs. expenses. However, because this is a hockey club and so much rides on how the prospects drafted progress to their ceilings, things should be one large decisions tree. If x happens, you progress to xx. If z happens, you instead zz. In our case, if we draft Stenberg then part of the discussion is how he progresses, then you focus on the following years' draft and getting a high ceiling guy etc. The job shouldn't focus now on on-ice results, but rather player scouting to get the right guys in, then player development to ensure they live up to expectations.