2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

They have two major trades to make and can only retain salary on one of them. I'm pretty sure that's the holdup – finding an acceptable deal without retention for one of the players.

This one is really simple. You use rentention to get the most out of Kadri, he’s the player going to bring the best return. You either move Coleman for slightly less for keep him until the draft or even into next year. His value is not going to recede significantly

[Nelson]

Saturday Headlines re centre market:
-Robert Thomas could be traded, and Utah might get him.
-Vincent Trocheck will not go west.
-Ryan O’Reilly may not be available, although teams are trying.
-That brings us to Nazem Kadri. Calgary has been waiting and waiting for a good offer on Kadri.
-Vancouver will not retain on EP40, and it’s quiet around EP40.

This makes things sound more hopeful to me re: a Kadri trade.

[sureLoss]

HNIC:

Lots of talks around Centers Thomas, Trocheck, O'Reilly, and Kadri

Believes there is a decent chance Robert Thomas gets traded - one of the teams in on him is Utah

Trocheck prefers to stay East - couple of far west teams were told he isn't going there
Minnesota might still be possible as it may not be too west.

ROR has no desire to leave Nashville in middle of playoff race but teams are continuing to try to see if they can get the Preds to approach him
ROR has been told he will have final say

Flames are waiting for a good offer to come for Kadri. (Just my opinion, but sounded like Friedman was implying that teams were investigating the other mentioned centers first)


Fact Toronto hasn't traded McMann yet says there isn't any good offers for him yet

Does believe OEL is on Oilers radar

Edmonton looking for a d-man that can play right side or a 3rd line center
Not considering goaltending - already made their move there

Vancouver still waiting on Myers decision
Vancouver is not willing to retain on Pettersen and it is pretty quiet around him

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Sofa GM

This one is really simple. You use rentention to get the most out of Kadri, he’s the player going to bring the best return. You either move Coleman for slightly less for keep him until the draft or even into next year. His value is not going to recede significantly

I kind of see it as the reverse at this point. Feels like Coleman has more value than Kadri given the contracts. They could go all in to boost Coleman’s return and deal with Kadri in the summer when teams have a little more flexibility.

Although if Thomas is actually on the block then a Kadri trade will wait until that clears most likely. Every team would prefer him.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sofa GM

This one is really simple. You use rentention to get the most out of Kadri, he’s the player going to bring the best return. You either move Coleman for slightly less for keep him until the draft or even into next year. His value is not going to recede significantly

I actually believe you're wrong about that. Insiders are reporting that Coleman is drawing more interest and will get a better return, precisely because he's not under contract until he's 38 years old.

[bluejays]

Friedman's segment made it sound like the Flames may have waited a bit too long. He said that with Trochek and Thomas now hitting the market, they now move ahead of Kadri with teams (aka, presumably teams see them as better players). He sounded pretty uncertain Kadri would or would not be dealt. Personally I've thought of him as a prime off-season trade candidate given more cap space. But he does have that agitator mindset which is valuable in the playoffs. I really really hope they can get a 1st for him.

[Royle9]

The Markets in on Kadri arent the same ones that want Thomas.
Trochek wants to stay out east which limits teams as well.

CGY just needs to pull the trigger.

[InternationalVillager]

Media will have you believe there are no good offers for any players out there.

Not true.

[Flamescuprun2018]

Originally Posted by Royle9

The Markets in on Kadri arent the same ones that want Thomas.
Trochek wants to stay out east which limits teams as well.

CGY just needs to pull the trigger.

The offers must be a bit light, or both Coleman and Kadri would not be on the ice tonight.

They have to be playing both to showcase and try and up the offers a bit?

I do wonder if the single retention spot is also playing into why they aren't pulling the trigger. Hoping they are going to get an offer that does not need it, so its available for the other?

[Nelson]

Friedman’s segment made things feel hopeful, as it sounds like western conference teams, who miss out on Thomas and can’t take/don’t want EP40’s whole contract, might only have Kadri as an option. There’s more scarcity than there seems to be.

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I kind of see it as the reverse at this point. Feels like Coleman has more value than Kadri given the contracts. They could go all in to boost Coleman’s return and deal with Kadri in the summer when teams have a little more flexibility.

Although if Thomas is actually on the block then a Kadri trade will wait until that clears most likely. Every team would prefer him.

I’m leaning on Royle saying that good offers are in the table for Kadri. The change in return with retention vs not is far less with Coleman than Kadri due to length of contract.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by Sofa GM

I’m leaning on Royle saying that good offers are in the table for Kadri. The change in return with retention vs not is far less with Coleman than Kadri due to length of contract.

I hear you, but if the offers are acceptable, why aren’t they being held out and why isn’t deal done? I don’t doubt there are offers. But if they are good, deals would be done or players held out. Maybe cap accrual is an issue, but again, players should be held out if a deal is agreed to.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Media will have you believe there are no good offers for any players out there.

Not true.

My take here is the Flames just have to not overthink this too much.

I know you always want a great deal and a clear win but that's tough with assets like Kadri and Coleman.

If there is a good deal that works for both sides then just pull the trigger by the deadline.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

If there is a good deal that works for both sides then just pull the trigger by the deadline.

I firmly believe that teams are offering plenty for both players, but only with retention. The holdup is that one guy or the other has to be traded without retention. Possibly a third party will have to be brought in to make everyone happy.

So who has lots of cap space, and an extra retention slot that they aren’t figuring to use for themselves?

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

I hear you, but if the offers are acceptable, why aren’t they being held out and why isn’t deal done? I don’t doubt there are offers. But if they are good, deals would be done or players held out. Maybe cap accrual is an issue, but again, players should be held out if a deal is agreed to.

This.

dino7c tried to suggest it NEVER happens unless the deal is basically done but Tyler Myers is still out for the Canucks tonight. Coleman and Kadri in the lineup is needlessly reckless.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

You'd think that sitting kadri or coleman could be a way to put some perceived urgency on interested teams as well.

Don't see why they're not doing it...

[Matty81]

It is for sure a bit confusing. If the rumors about good offers on the table are true either Conroy has decided he will use all the time to the deadline just to make sure he gets the absolute top offers while playing them which is obviously a big gamble as far as injuries and other teams changing or withdrawing their offers, or they were hedging on the flames own team still as if they had won tonight they would have been only 7 points out of the wildcard. Hopefully the loss tonight is coupled with Seattle picking up points and any thoughts of scenario B is put to bed.

Hopefully we get through the ducks game tomorrow without any injuries

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Flamescuprun2018

They have to be playing both to showcase and try and up the offers a bit?

I doubt a good game changes trade value of players who have played 10+ years.

[Roko]

Flames don’t make trades on the road

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Yeah, thought about Dallas and Rantanen and Nill did put it out there last year. But he’s low balled us on Tanev and didn’t play ball on Andersson despite needing an obvious need on rhd. I hope that comes back to bite him. He’s playing it cautious again and worried about spending futures, when he really doesn’t have to worry about futures as he has a built in advantage with his team in a low tax state and able to attract prime talent in free agency as a result.

Since 2019, Nil has sent out the following:

2nd & 3rd (Zuccarello)
1st (Lundqvist)
2nd (Domi)
2nd (Tanev)
1st (Granlund)
2x1st (Rantanen)

So 4x 1sts and 3x 2nds. Nil has traded away last year's first, this year's first, and their 2028 1st, along with one of their top prospects/young players in Stankoven. That's hardly sitting on his hands.

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

A good example is WPG. They had a decent core, and were a competitive team for several years, but Cheveldayoff sat on his hands year after year. Now the core is older and cracks are emerging (to say the least)

Since 2018 the Jet have traded away:

1st (Stastny)
1st (Hayes)
2x 2nd (Dillon)
2nd (Niederreiter)
2nd (Toffoli)
1st (Monahan)
2nd (Schenn)
2nd (Tanev)

Again, hardly sitting on their hands. The Jets are on virtually every NTC/NMC in the league, and most players have trade protection. Cheveldayoff is severely handicapped in his ability to improve the roster through trades. The Jets also can't attract UFAs because of the market.

People who complain that NHL GMs aren't aggressive enough don't seem to understand how many players have trade protection. Fully three-quarters of the quality veterans in the NHL have NTCs or NMCs. And that number is only increasing.

The biggest restraint on player movement in the league is that players today have far more control in where they play than in the past, and they're not at all reluctant to exercise that control