2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Seemed like more than 50% of the board smelled Kadri to the flames a mile away and the vast majority were ripping their hair out hoping it wouldnt happen. I was one of them. A career 60 point player with troubling club/fan history and a single career best year playing 2nd fiddle to one of the best lines of the last 15 years, needing one of the most expensive contracts in club history.

It was a poor decision. I know that ownership still wants to compete but we could have done better with the money elsewhere. OR we could have held monahan and sought a trade mid season/ later on that would have been much less costly.

Here’s the list of top UFAs from last offseason (Gaudreau was #1 and Kadri #2):

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...-ufas-rumours/

So Copp? Palat?

Trying to replace players of the calibre of Gaudreau and Tkachuk is a massive challenge. Treliving got widespread praise around the league for making the trades and signings that he did. It certainly played a part in the most deep-pocketed and prestigious franchise in the league snatching him up as soon as he walked away from the Flames.

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Our situation now would feel much, much less hopeless if we didn't have all that Kadri salary on the books.

Kadri is a second line center that is the 36th highest paid centerman in the league. The term is too long, but the AAV for Kadri is fine.


The only way that the Flames could have avoided paying second line centerman money for a second line centerman is to have a young guy with potential like Kotkaniemi, Dach, Bennett, or Chytil that is on the verge of breaking out...and trading for a player like that takes picks (e.g. the Canes paid a 1st+ for Kotkaniemi and Habs paying a 1st+ for Dach)

Treliving was in a no-win situation.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Our situation now would feel much, much less hopeless if we didn't have all that Kadri salary on the books.

Cap rising will lessen the hurt.

He SHOULD be a decent 2C for another couple of seasons at least. $7M is becoming the new $5M.

It's the term that hurts with Kadri.

[Paulie Walnuts]

The Flames looked great down the middle last season, that is the type of depth you want to win.

Kadri didn't deliver from a grit and compete aspect but if you can get 70 from Lindholm 50-60 from Kadri and 40-50 from Backlund that is a very strong group, plus factor in having a superstar winger in Huberdeau who can pop for 80-90 and your team starts to take shape.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

The Flames looked great down the middle last season, that is the type of depth you want to win.

Kadri didn't deliver from a grit and compete aspect but if you can get 70 from Lindholm 50-60 from Kadri and 40-50 from Backlund that is a very strong group, plus factor in having a superstar winger in Huberdeau who can pop for 80-90 and your team starts to take shape.

then you just need a goalie who can stop the occasional beach ball as opposed to whatever Markstrom's season was last year, and you are looking good.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

The Flames looked great down the middle last season, that is the type of depth you want to win.

Kadri didn't deliver from a grit and compete aspect but if you can get 70 from Lindholm 50-60 from Kadri and 40-50 from Backlund that is a very strong group, plus factor in having a superstar winger in Huberdeau who can pop for 80-90 and your team starts to take shape.

Still going to need Coronato or Sharangovic to break out in a big way or Mangiapance to bounce back to popping 30+ in the net/season even if the centers hold up their end.

Need someone to replace Tyler's offense just to get back to last year's meager baseline let alone take steps forward.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

The Flames looked great down the middle last season, that is the type of depth you want to win.

Kadri didn't deliver from a grit and compete aspect but if you can get 70 from Lindholm 50-60 from Kadri and 40-50 from Backlund that is a very strong group, plus factor in having a superstar winger in Huberdeau who can pop for 80-90 and your team starts to take shape.

There are a lot of 'ifs' circling the Flames this season. Should make for some entertaining discussion come pre season, as for now it is killing me.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Bonded

How is they better than waiting for appropriate value later in the season?

Originally Posted by The Cobra

He really shouldn’t have. Really.

I will use green text next time since it's obviously needed!

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Here’s the list of top UFAs from last offseason (Gaudreau was #1 and Kadri #2):

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...-ufas-rumours/

So Copp? Palat?

Trying to replace players of the calibre of Gaudreau and Tkachuk is a massive challenge. Treliving got widespread praise around the league for making the trades and signings that he did. It certainly played a part in the most deep-pocketed and prestigious franchise in the league snatching him up as soon as he walked away from the Flames.

That to me is the issue. There was no way he was going to replace Gaudreau and Tkachuk. 0% chance. The team was going to get weaker regardless and wasn't going to be able to compete. They had a lot of players with good trade value while there was only 1 star UFA. And there was an extremely strong draft class with likely a generational player at the top of the list.

A rebuild was staring them in the face at the perfect time and Treliving shoukd have convinced the owners to go that route. Instead, the team got older, less talented, and more expensive.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Poe969

That to me is the issue. There was no way he was going to replace Gaudreau and Tkachuk. 0% chance. The team was going to get weaker regardless and wasn't going to be able to compete. They had a lot of players with good trade value while there was only 1 star UFA. And there was an extremely strong draft class with likely a generational player at the top of the list.

A rebuild was staring them in the face at the perfect time and Treliving shoukd have convinced the owners to go that route. Instead, the team got older, less talented, and more expensive.

I don’t think this is accurate.

The big question surrounding the Flames around the league one year ago was, are the Flames better this year than they were last?

There is/was a much better chance the 0%.

[PepsiFree]

Yeah, whole lot of revisionist history there. The Flames did a pretty good job replacing the losses of Gaudreau and Tkachuk according to most at the time, and even with monumental collapses by star and key players, they still missed the playoffs by just a nose.

Do people really think that if they took the rebuild deal instead that they would have been much worse than they were with Huberdeau and the goaltenders completely collapsing? That they somehow could have rid themselves of enough talent to compete with teams like Arizona and Chicago for the bottom of the order? Come on.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Do people really think that if they took the rebuild deal instead that they would have been much worse than they were with Huberdeau and the goaltenders completely collapsing? That they somehow could have rid themselves of enough talent to compete with teams like Arizona and Chicago for the bottom of the order? Come on.

The deal they did make could have been the rebuild deal. They could have flipped a 1-yr/$5.9M 115-point Huberdeau for a Colby Barlow level prospect and a 2024 1st. Then kept Monahan and that 1st, and weaponized the Kadri cap money this summer.

Instead, they offered up retirement contracts.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by butterfly

The deal they did make could have been the rebuild deal. They could have flipped a 1-yr/$5.9M 115-point Huberdeau for a Colby Barlow level prospect and a 2024 1st. Then kept Monahan and that 1st, and weaponized the Kadri cap money this summer.

Instead, they offered up retirement contracts.

So what? That doesn't answer PepsiFree's question.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by butterfly

The deal they did make could have been the rebuild deal. They could have flipped a 1-yr/$5.9M 115-point Huberdeau for a Colby Barlow level prospect and a 2024 1st. Then kept Monahan and that 1st, and weaponized the Kadri cap money this summer.

Instead, they offered up retirement contracts.

Why stop there? What could the Flames have done?

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yeah, whole lot of revisionist history there. The Flames did a pretty good job replacing the losses of Gaudreau and Tkachuk according to most at the time, and even with monumental collapses by star and key players, they still missed the playoffs by just a nose.

Do people really think that if they took the rebuild deal instead that they would have been much worse than they were with Huberdeau and the goaltenders completely collapsing? That they somehow could have rid themselves of enough talent to compete with teams like Arizona and Chicago for the bottom of the order? Come on.

I think the Monahan deal was in the works long before losing Gaudreau. If the management was planning on bringing Tkachuk back at 9.5 and Gaudreau at 10.5, then there was no way they could've kept Monahan, or re-signed Zadorov.

Signing Kadri was a slight knee jerk reaction, banking on competing for a cup in 22-23, and 23-24, before we had to pay Lindholm, Hanifin, Toffoli, Kylington, and Dube.

I still think that Kadri is a $7M player for the next 2-3 years, but I have my doubts about his 35+ seasons. That said, I don't have a crystal ball, and Kadri could follow Pavelski's path and still be a top player in his late 30's. I just hope that Kadri's play after the all-star break was mostly on Sutter, and not because he quit on his teammates. Sometimes it's hard to manufacture emotion a year after having much higher highs and lows winning it all in the process. I hope Kadri rediscovers that again this year, and becomes a fan favorite.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

So what? That doesn't answer PepsiFree's question.

Originally Posted by TOfan

Why stop there? What could the Flames have done?

What was their question? Do I think we would have been as bad as Chicago and Arizona? No.

Would I rather have 2 1sts, a Barlow level prospect, someone marginally better than Honzek, The Monahan, Kadri, and Lucic cap space all available when very few other teams had any, and not be tied up in two long term bleak retirement contracts? Yes.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Poe969

That to me is the issue. There was no way he was going to replace Gaudreau and Tkachuk. 0% chance. The team was going to get weaker regardless and wasn't going to be able to compete. They had a lot of players with good trade value while there was only 1 star UFA. And there was an extremely strong draft class with likely a generational player at the top of the list.

A rebuild was staring them in the face at the perfect time and Treliving shoukd have convinced the owners to go that route. Instead, the team got older, less talented, and more expensive.

Saying they 'weren't going to be able to compete' is hyperbole. Despite EVERYTHING that went wrong, they darn near got in the playoffs. That's in spite of an awful year from their #1 offensive player, terrible goaltending and a laughably bad overtime/shootout record.

Moreover how do you know that BT didn't try to argue for a re-build and it simply wasn't something the owners would bend on.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by butterfly

What was their question? Do I think we would have been as bad as Chicago and Arizona? No.

Would I rather have 2 1sts, a Barlow level prospect, someone marginally better than Honzek, The Monahan, Kadri, and Lucic cap space all available when very few other teams had any, and not be tied up in two long term bleak retirement contracts? Yes.

Marginally better than Honzek. Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Marginally better than Honzek. Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?

The idea is that the team would have been a bit worse, and thus got to pick a few slots higher than they did.

It still could have actually been Honzek; I have no idea what their draft rankings were.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by butterfly

The idea is that the team would have been a bit worse, and thus got to pick a few slots higher than they did.

It still could have actually been Honzek; I have no idea what their draft rankings were.

I think you’re setting yourself up for disappointment if that’s how you think the Flames should chose to run their hockey operations.