2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

If a team is asking about Markstrom I think you make it happen. I’d rather go with growing pains with Wolf and Vladar and sell Vladar at the ‘24TDL/‘24 draft/‘25TDL.

No retention but be willing to take on a bad contract back, hopefully with a year or two less on it.

I do understand seeing if Markstrom can increase his value though, he played a lot better after his son was born.

I think it was Freidman who reported that Markstrom wants to stay and seeing how he has a NMC I don't think we should expect him to be traded.

Edit: beaten to it.

[MrMike]

Okay come on, I was expecting a little more out of the league for trades today, or even chatter “heating up” rumours

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think it was Freidman who reported that Markstrom wants to stay and seeing how he has a NMC I don't think we should expect him to be traded.

I find that so weird. He would basically be staying through a rebuild then being a Ufa.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by MrMike

Okay come on, I was expecting a little more out of the league for trades today, or even chatter “heating up” rumours

I was grumpy about the lack of radio talk today. Now I'm glad as it would just be long winded rambling. Draft should always be on a Friday night so we get the build up from the media.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Spurs

The Flames certainly can control if they start exploring those deals now, after the draft, at the end of the summer, in the season, at the trade deadline or not at all.

I have never said they are leaving great deals on the table now but if they are not sure of the direction they are taking that certainly removes the possibilities of some deals that might not be available later.

As for me wringing my hands I have said I am only concerned that the longer we go they won't go the rebuild route. I have no problem with them taking time to find the best deals possible if they have decided to go with that plan.

Just because the Flames haven’t made a deal doesn’t mean they are not exploring them. Again, their ‘control’ over these trades or contract negotiations is limited.

I think the Flames are well aware, more than you or I, about the risk benefit of exercising some patience with their negotiations be it trade or contract extension.

At the end of the day, a 50% salary retained Hanifin, Lindholm, and one other player will be highly attractive assets to other teams whether the Flames make that available over the next three days or at any point this offseason. I really don’t think the Flames are faced with any real pressure point right now. Start of the season, maybe, but I’d bet there will be resolution to much of this by then.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by blankall

Is your only knock against Phillips his size?

Nope. I don’t think he’s defensively aware, can skate at the NHL level, or can handle the physicality of the NHL. It is a game for big men and Phillips would be the smallest player by a big margin. Pelletier towers over Phillips.

Because there are plenty of small players succeeding in the NHL now. Another thing the Flames need to move away from is only acquiring players that are "hard to play against". The Flames have been absolutely destroyed in important games season after season, because they've been unable to keep up with the opposing teams' skill and speed. The flames need to get faster, more mobile, and more skilled.

Phillips would be the smallest in the league. On a team that is already small and heading in the wrong direction. Adding Pelletier and Coronato next season will make them smaller. Not sure how Phillips helps them get faster seeing he isn’t a burner out there. He is a skilled player but he has not found much success against teams that play big or uptempo. Look at the AHL playoffs for example. He’s also not a young guy anymore. He’s 25 and he has 3 games under his belt. It took him a few years to find success at the AHL level, how long will it take him to find his way in the faster, bigger, tougher NHL?

Could Phillips be a flip? Absolutely. But not giving him a chance, after what he's accomplished in the AHL, is insane.

What has he accomplished exactly? There are all sorts of small players from the AHL that could never make the jump to the NHL. I think Phillips is another one of those.

Let's be generous to your argument and say Phillips has about a 20% chance of working out. That's about the same odds as a 2nd round pick. Maybe the Flames should just throw away all their picks outside the first round too?

I think you’re being very generous with your odds of him making it to the NHL. He’s 25. Most players that age have washed out of organizations by that age if they have not found a full time gig given the number of games and seasons he’s had. Opportunity has been there and he hasn’t impressed. Phillips was a 6th rounder for good reason and he’s performed like one. I think the Flames can do better in filling out the lineup than using a contract on Phillips. Just my take considering the size of the team.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

I find that so weird. He would basically be staying through a rebuild then being a Ufa.

I don't think he thinks the team is going scorched Earth rebuild. I would imagine if they did he would likely waive for that. Nothing from the team has indicated that is a direction they would go though.

[Toonage]

We'll likely get a better idea of how Markstrom feels if/when the Flames deal Lindholm, his buddy and the guy who helped recruit him originally.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I don't think he thinks the team is going scorched Earth rebuild. I would imagine if they did he would likely waive for that. Nothing from the team has indicated that is a direction they would go though.

Nothing from the team has indicated anything retool rebuild etc. We shall find out this week though.

[FlamesAddiction]

Conroy only said that they wouldn't risk walking all the pending UFAs to free agency, not that they wouldn't take the chance with a couple of them.

I think the right play with someone like Backlund could be to keep him until the trade deadline depending on what the potential return would be now. He is the kind of player that a contender might overpay for if they are going all in and have accrued cap space, but they might be apprehensive to acquire before they know exactly where they stand.

I know there is a risk that the Flames could be a bubble team making selling difficult at the deadline, but I don't think it's a major risk next season.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by MrMike

Okay come on, I was expecting a little more out of the league for trades today, or even chatter “heating up” rumours

It seems like today/tomorrow could be more of a travel day to Nashville once everyone has their own war room set up I think we see some action tomorrow-Wednesday

[Toonage]

Awards tomorrow night so most likely a bunch of people travelling today

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

Nope. I don’t think he’s defensively aware, can skate at the NHL level, or can handle the physicality of the NHL. It is a game for big men and Phillips would be the smallest player by a big margin. Pelletier towers over Phillips.



Phillips would be the smallest in the league. On a team that is already small and heading in the wrong direction. Adding Pelletier and Coronato next season will make them smaller. Not sure how Phillips helps them get faster seeing he isn’t a burner out there. He is a skilled player but he has not found much success against teams that play big or uptempo. Look at the AHL playoffs for example. He’s also not a young guy anymore. He’s 25 and he has 3 games under his belt. It took him a few years to find success at the AHL level, how long will it take him to find his way in the faster, bigger, tougher NHL?



What has he accomplished exactly? There are all sorts of small players from the AHL that could never make the jump to the NHL. I think Phillips is another one of those.



I think you’re being very generous with your odds of him making it to the NHL. He’s 25. Most players that age have washed out of organizations by that age if they have not found a full time gig given the number of games and seasons he’s had. Opportunity has been there and he hasn’t impressed. Phillips was a 6th rounder for good reason and he’s performed like one. I think the Flames can do better in filling out the lineup than using a contract on Phillips. Just my take considering the size of the team.

I agree with this 100%. I don’t believe Phillips has had a fair shake in the NHL, but I also think it doesn’t really matter anyway. I don’t think he’s an NHL player.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Jiggy

Yup! Friedman reported it last week.

He has a choice?

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

He has a choice?

Why wouldn’t he?

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

I find that so weird. He would basically be staying through a rebuild then being a Ufa.

He probably realizes he has zero value after his disastrous season. Would be embarrassing to have to have money retained a year after a vezina nomination. He needs to sort his #### out and then revisit my next year.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by blankall

Is your only knock against Phillips his size?

Because there are plenty of small players succeeding in the NHL now. Another thing the Flames need to move away from is only acquiring players that are "hard to play against". The Flames have been absolutely destroyed in important games season after season, because they've been unable to keep up with the opposing teams' skill and speed. The flames need to get faster, more mobile, and more skilled.

Could Phillips be a flip? Absolutely. But not giving him a chance, after what he's accomplished in the AHL, is insane.

Let's be generous to your argument and say Phillips has about a 20% chance of working out. That's about the same odds as a 2nd round pick. Maybe the Flames should just throw away all their picks outside the first round too?

I’m not sure where you are getting this. Recently the Flames had prioritized through the draft players who could ‘think the game’ as Trelivingnput it and competitiveness. Pelletier, Zary, Coronato, Dube, Mangiapanne, Philips, Anderson, Kylington are all examples of this.

I don’t think they ever prioritized ‘tough to play against’ or size if that’s what you’re suggesting. Of course, all other things being equal, you take the bigger player but I don’t think, aside from the 2014 draft, the Flames have taken size/toughness over skill.

Their lack of elite skill at the moment is a function of not winning draft lotteries when they could have and having their two best skill players leave them last year.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I wouldn't want to attach any assets to Markstrom. I think he rebounds.


I hope that Huska's defensive changes turn out to be correct, and stops those 'extremely high chances against' like he spoke about. I have often posted about those in PGTs. I believe he will turn it around. This isn't like an Elliott where he was never really a #1 goalie, or a Hiller where he used to be a #1, but was just hanging on.

[bluejays]

I put the chances of Markstrom bouncing back to all star at 5%. Average goaltender maybe 15% at best. He’s broken mentally from the oilers playoff rout. He’s older and I don’t think there’s much hope. He’ll be better than last year but to the degree he needs to be, doubtful.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I wouldn't want to attach any assets to Markstrom. I think he rebounds.


I hope that Huska's defensive changes turn out to be correct, and stops those 'extremely high chances against' like he spoke about. I have often posted about those in PGTs. I believe he will turn it around. This isn't like an Elliott where he was never really a #1 goalie, or a Hiller where he used to be a #1, but was just hanging on.

One positive thing about Markstrom is that the problem definitely wasn't that he didn't care. Not a case of bad attitude or sulkiness. You could see the frustration in him and that he was clearly trying. In fact, I think a big part of the problem is that his frustration made him overly aggressive causing him to lose the net. These are things that can be fixed.