2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[D as in David]

That can't be Johnson's current weight. 165lbs?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Seems like me that certain NHL coaches are so much harder on younger players than vets with the scratches and line demotions. Maybe am biased and incorrect, but I see this with McTavish and I think of Zary this year and it feels like so many bad vets seem to get a pass.

Am sure Zary is not executing perfectly, but I watch a vet like Sharangovich floating around the ice doing nothing, with 4 points in his last 18 and minus a lot, and he's still somehow getting almost 20 minutes of ice against St. Louis? But I am all for the tank and that guy is a dream tank player I guess.

Last 25 games they are in a dead heat for ice time though, five on five.

Sharangovich 13:10 / game.
Zary 13:08 / game.

[BobaFett]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

I wonder if Mason MacTavish is available for something like the Zegras package. Maybe Zary and a 2nd.

They don’t need more forwards, they’re hunting for young RD. Think along the lines of Brzustewicz.

Personally, I think McTavish has much higher value than Zegras did. McTavish feels like his trajectory is much broader than Zegras’. On top of that, Zegras came off as a goof at times, whereas Mason has the eyes of a killer.

- edit spelling on a word.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Doesn't hold though when you look at Anaheim. Young players are getting tons of opportunity on that team. It's not an old v. young thing. Some young players (Senneke, Carlsson, Guathier) have earned and are getting bigger opportunity. Others (Mactavish, Minty) aren't. I don't think it's an age thing.

Of all those players McTavish seems like the playoff guy. I've obviously never been to a Ducks practice or been in their locker room, but unless McTavish is just not putting any effort in, I'd be putting him in a position to succeed for the playoffs.

The Ducks also cut ties from Zegras, who seemed like a sure thing to be a star. They also moved out Drysdale.

I'd say there's something going on in Anaheim. Could be just a situation of them trying to build a cohesive team and guys that don't mesh are being moved out. Or maybe a moneyball type scenario? Or maybe Drysdale and McTavish have awful attitudes, although I haven't seen any signs of that from their on ice play.

[Bonded]

Johnson or MacTavish would be a great get

[The EBUG's EBUG]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Johnson or MacTavish would be a great get

Even both would be fun.

If the trajectory for this rebuild is something like

2026 - Bottom 3
2027 - Bottom 3
2028 - Lottery pick but fun
2029 - Playoff chase, into contending

Then those guys fit that age group, probably wouldn't impact the immediate rebuilding draft positions whilst also being good pieces hopefully in their primes when the team is ready to win.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by BobaFett

They don’t need more forwards, they’re hunting for young RD. Think along the lines of Brzustewicz.

If all it takes is Brz (and a pick/picks), then Conroy should be all over acquiring McTavish. No brainer imo.

[Roko]

Or try something around Mews

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by blankall

Of all those players McTavish seems like the playoff guy. I've obviously never been to a Ducks practice or been in their locker room, but unless McTavish is just not putting any effort in, I'd be putting him in a position to succeed for the playoffs.

The Ducks also cut ties from Zegras, who seemed like a sure thing to be a star. They also moved out Drysdale.

I'd say there's something going on in Anaheim. Could be just a situation of them trying to build a cohesive team and guys that don't mesh are being moved out. Or maybe a moneyball type scenario? Or maybe Drysdale and McTavish have awful attitudes, although I haven't seen any signs of that from their on ice play.

One of the common elements is these weren't guys drafted by Verbeek.

[CliffFletcher]

The issue with McTavish is he's bad defensively and doesn't seem to be getting any better. If the root cause is of lack of effort, that's going to piss off any coach. And ultimately the GM.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Seems like me that certain NHL coaches are so much harder on younger players than vets with the scratches and line demotions. Maybe am biased and incorrect, but I see this with McTavish and I think of Zary this year and it feels like so many bad vets seem to get a pass.

Am sure Zary is not executing perfectly, but I watch a vet like Sharangovich floating around the ice doing nothing, with 4 points in his last 18 and minus a lot, and he's still somehow getting almost 20 minutes of ice against St. Louis? But I am all for the tank and that guy is a dream tank player I guess.

In their last 20 games:

Sharangovich: 4G-1A-5P -8 16:51TOI (14:16EV, 1:26PP, 1:09PK)
Zary: 3G-2A-5P -8 14:59TOI (13:24EV, 1:33PP, 0:01PK)

I wouldn't consider Zary a young player anymore, and he is getting the same opportunities as Sharangovich minus the PK time. Zary just isn't that good of a player.

[Shazam]

Meh. They'll be pushed down the lineup by new prospects hopefully. We have third line players playing first line duty.

[PeteMoss]

Zary was drafted in the same year as Tim Stutzle, Alexis Lafreniere, Jake Sanderson, Alexander Holtz, Seth Jarvis, Dylan Holloway, Cole Perfetti.

Are these players you are expecting to take a big step in the future or are they just what they are now?

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Zary was drafted in the same year as Tim Stutzle, Alexis Lafreniere, Jake Sanderson, Alexander Holtz, Seth Jarvis, Dylan Holloway, Cole Perfetti.

Are these players you are expecting to take a big step in the future or are they just what they are now?

Those players are mostly what they are, but a couple still have some room to grow. The difference is that most of those players have 300-400 NHL games under their belt while Zary has 180.

It's also a draft where CAR drafted Nikishin, whom I expect to take another step. Then there are guys like Chinakov that I think really benefited from the change of scenery to PIT and I expect even more out of him.

Not to mention guys like Heineman, Bourque, or even fellow Flame Kuznetsov, that still haven't reached their full NHL potential.

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Zary was drafted in the same year as Tim Stutzle, Alexis Lafreniere, Jake Sanderson, Alexander Holtz, Seth Jarvis, Dylan Holloway, Cole Perfetti.

Are these players you are expecting to take a big step in the future or are they just what they are now?

Every one of those was taken in the top 15 of the draft. Zary was 24th.

So what's your point? Your comparison is weak.

[Psytic]

Here is what Gemini 3.1 Pro thinks based on the 24 input advanced stat and micro stat model I created for fun:


These are the live 2025-26 season stats as of today, March 20, 2026. I have updated the model with the most recent performance data from this month to ensure we are using hard data.
Connor Zary: The "System" Victim

Zary is currently being utilized in a way that suppresses his primary production, which is why the "bust" talk is surfacing.

• The Neutral Zone Trap: Zary is in the 92nd percentile for Neutral Zone time. He is carrying the puck and doing the transition work, but he is only in the bottom 50th percentile for Offensive Zone time.
  
  
• Deployment: He is getting buried with defensive starts and limited power play time (averaging only 1:39 PPTOI).
• Recent Flash: Despite the noise, he just put up a goal and an assist against San Jose on February 26 and another goal against St. Louis on March 18. His skating distance is in the 74th percentile, proving he is working, just not in the high danger areas Huska’s system currently prioritizes.
• The Deployment Trap (Zone Starts)
  
  The claim that Zary is "buried" is statistically accurate. Under Ryan Huska’s current system, Zary’s Offensive Zone Start % (oZS%) has cratered to 50.1%.
• Context: In his rookie year, he was at 71.8%.
• Impact: He has seen a 21% drop in offensive opportunity. He is now effectively the Flames' most used defensive-utility winger, often tasked with starting in the defensive zone (39.2% of the time) to help the team exit the zone because of his high transition scores.

Mason McTavish: The Power Forward Utility

McTavish has higher raw totals but is benefiting from a vastly different role in Anaheim.

• Power Play Reliance: He has 32 points, but a significant chunk comes from being the focal point of the Ducks' man advantage.
• Net Front Presence: His micro stats confirm he is a "heavy" player with an 87.5 mph shot (70th percentile) and high volume shots on goal (77th percentile).
  
  
• The Slump: Interestingly, McTavish is on a massive cold streak with 0 points in his last 5 games and only 2 assists in his last 10.
  
  

Why the "Bennett" Comparison Holds Up

Sam Bennett’s NHLe and micro stats in Calgary were almost identical to Zary's current profile: high transition scores and high motor, but zero finish because of "safe" system play.

• NHLe Audit: Zary’s NHLe remains consistent with a top six forward, but his 11.1% shooting percentage is at a career low.
• The "Huska" Effect: The Flames currently have one of the worst power plays in the league (31st). If Zary is traded to a team that allows him to use his 92nd percentile transition ability in the offensive zone rather than the neutral zone, his production will likely skyrocket.

It also thinks we should fire Huska if we draft McKenna and that his historical systems will neuter our offensive output from Parekh as well. Big if true.

[Enoch Root]

Zary is good at transitional play, that's true. And that's why he used to be on PP1, because he is good at zone entries.

The problem is that, after he enters the offensive zone, he is prone to turnovers or being checked off the puck. That's why his offensive zone time is low - he can get into the zone, he just isn't very good at staying there.

[Ba'alzamon]

^ So basically AI told you what you wanted to hear, without a great deal of attention to accuracy.

A ZSR of 50% does not constitute "getting buried" lol. Backlund's is 31% and Coleman's is 35.5%. That is getting buried.

Zary is not, and never has been, "the Flames' most used defensive-utility winger". That is Coleman.

he just put up a goal and an assist against San Jose on February 26 and another goal against St. Louis on March 18

That sentence is hilarious. You should see the problems with it on your own.

If Zary is traded to a team that allows him to use his 92nd percentile transition ability in the offensive zone rather than the neutral zone, his production will likely skyrocket.

Transition is literally the ability to move the puck into the offensive zone (or out of the defensive zone). By definition, you cannot use transition ability in the offensive zone. This sentence is nonsense. (basically, if Zary is primarily a transition forward than using him in a way where he spends most of his time transitioning the puck through the neutral zone would constitute using him correctly, wouldn't it?)

Also, citation needed on that 92nd percentile remark.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Zary is good at transitional play, that's true. And that's why he used to be on PP1, because he is good at zone entries.

The problem is that, after he enters the offensive zone, he is prone to turnovers or being checked off the puck. That's why his offensive zone time is low - he can get into the zone, he just isn't very good at staying there.

This is very good assessment of Zary. One on one battles are his bread and butter and he's at his best when he's playing fast while moving the puck quickly and with conviction. His struggles happen when he holds onto the puck to long and then softly tries to dump it out of trouble. He's got to keep his feet moving and moving the puck with urgency.

Like some of our other young players he needs to find some consistency, and I think it's starting to come with him. It's a little delayed because of injuries but I'm seeing it more now than i was 6 months ago.

Zary at his best has shown to be an impactful NHLer.

[Harry Lime]

I think that it was Sutter at one point said "if you give me a team full of Ronnie Sterns, I'll win you the Cup". And that might be true.

The thing is, there are coaches out there who will try to turn every player into a Ronnie Stern. Not that theres anything wrong with that.