2023/2024 Trade Rumors and Speculation Thread

[Fighting Banana Slug]

For me, the 90s were the low point. Young Guns was a nice slogan, but looking at those teams, it was incredibly clear that the Flames had no chance with that talent. How we didn't end up drafting top 5 is still an absolute mystery to me. It never felt like we would ever make the playoffs. Even 2004 felt like a bit of a fluke.

I don't think this team is as bereft of talent, but it might be close after the sell off. I am ok with it, but truly burning the thing to the ground is terrifying to me, as I think that would lead to a solid 7-10 years of pain.

[gvitaly]

Ottawa is looking for guys like Coleman and Backlund.

I'm wondering if we could somehow get a guy like Norris for Backlund + Coleman + late 1st from one of our other trades.

Norris comes with a pretty high price tag of $8M x 7. He's 24, and he's having a down year with 23P in 37GP. I think he will be a #1C, but I can also see it being a massive overpay, especially if his game doesn't rebound. Backlund and Coleman would also need to agree to a trade.

It's all extremely unlikely, but what assets would you be willing to give up for a guy like Norris?

[OILFAN #81]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Ottawa is looking for guys like Coleman and Backlund.

I'm wondering if we could somehow get a guy like Norris for Backlund + Coleman + late 1st from one of our other trades.

Norris comes with a pretty high price tag of $8M x 7. He's 24, and he's having a down year with 23P in 37GP. I think he will be a #1C, but I can also see it being a massive overpay, especially if his game doesn't rebound. Backlund and Coleman would also need to agree to a trade.

It's all extremely unlikely, but what assets would you be willing to give up for a guy like Norris?

The proposal seems like quantity over quality when you look into the ages of players. Backlund will be 35 in a few months and Coleman turns 33 this calendar year. Ottawa will probably build around their young guys. I think they are looking to move Tarasenko and keep Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Norris up front.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I don’t know how our UFA feel about it, but as someone that has an axe looming over their head at work myself, I wish it would just come down already.

I’m sure they wanna get the hell out of here too. This kind of distraction is not good for anyone. I realize Conroy needs a dance partner, but come on there’s been plenty of smoke about these guys.

What do all of the potential suitors have in common?

Cap constraints. This is lessened closer to the deadline.

[SuperMatt18]

There have been rumors that the Senators want to move that Norris contract.

I'd be all over that for the right deal TBH. He's 24, he's had a bit of bad luck with injuries, but is a top 6 center long term still IMO.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by BrownDrake

And then 3-4 years to develop and compete so playoffs in 2030 maybe a miracle run in 2028 or 2029 if someone stumbles or we surpass expectations.


I'm ok with that but so are probably most of the people on this board the rub is that management and ownership usually isnt and certainly the majority of fans are absolutely not gonna watch losing hockey. Its a much tougher job to do the right thing in a hockey market.

Alot of what we already have will be developing over the next couple years plus what we took in 23 and what we get in 24. If we develop a good young base, adding high end picks can have an immediate impact.

The flames current prospect pool is pretty deep, and we should have extra picks in this draft to go with the 23 draft picks. If we full rebuild and add a 1st overall in 25 or 26 and top 3 in both years, a lot of developing will have already happened when we add those potential stars.

Some teams went into a rebuild with nothing, added high end stars and then needed to develop around the stars. Colorado, Toronto, Edmonton added superstars to nothing.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

The proposal seems like quantity over quality when you look into the ages of players. Backlund will be 35 in a few months and Coleman turns 33 this calendar year. Ottawa will probably build around their young guys. I think they are looking to move Tarasenko and keep Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Norris up front.

That's true, but I believe Backlund has more points than Norris this season. It seems like a risky idea for both sides. Norris might not live up to the $8M price tag.

I just think that the Flames will be looking to add more players in the 24-26 range even at the risk of overpaying.

[PepsiFree]

The issue with moving guys like Tanev, Coleman, or Backlund is that they need to go to contenders trying to find that single missing piece. Same with Markstrom to an extent: a team that has everything else and is right there, but their goaltending isn’t strong enough for the playoffs. They can’t go to teams like Ottawa that might be contenders in 2-3 years but aren’t quite on the cusp yet.

Guys like Lindholm and Hanifin would be perfect adds for a team just entering the window, though. They can still contribute for 5+ years.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Ottawa is looking for guys like Coleman and Backlund.

I'm wondering if we could somehow get a guy like Norris for Backlund + Coleman + late 1st from one of our other trades.

Norris comes with a pretty high price tag of $8M x 7. He's 24, and he's having a down year with 23P in 37GP. I think he will be a #1C, but I can also see it being a massive overpay, especially if his game doesn't rebound. Backlund and Coleman would also need to agree to a trade.

It's all extremely unlikely, but what assets would you be willing to give up for a guy like Norris?

To some extent the conversations between the team and Backlund when he extended are important. I think the NMC was likely pretty important and not just from a "I need to choose my destination" aspect. Backlund may want to end his career here. That said, both players have 10 team lists. I'm betting most contenders will be on those lists. Ottawa - probably not.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

That's true, but I believe Backlund has more points than Norris this season. It seems like a risky idea for both sides. Norris might not live up to the $8M price tag.

I just think that the Flames will be looking to add more players in the 24-26 range even at the risk of overpaying.

Backlund has 1 more in 9 more games, and Norris did come off a fairly major injury where he only played 8 games last season.

[blankall]

My hope is that the Flames trade away their UFAs with enough time to fully tank in the standings. I don't see them breaching the bottom 5 (somehow Buffalo and Ottawa are in perpetual rebuilds). Drafting at #6 is likely where the Flames end up, if they tank now.

I honestly don't see the return on the UFAs being all that great. Likely 1-2 late 1sts and some 2nds and 3rds. The bigger return will always be moving up in the draft standings.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by OILFAN #81

The proposal seems like quantity over quality when you look into the ages of players. Backlund will be 35 in a few months and Coleman turns 33 this calendar year. Ottawa will probably build around their young guys. I think they are looking to move Tarasenko and keep Tkachuk, Stutzle, and Norris up front.

The problem with teams that look good on paper, but struggle is because they don't have players that play Coleman and Backlund's role. These guys put up points and are studs 5 on 5 and on the PK but don't need to the PP to excel.

Ottawa might not need these guys this year, but they have nobody that plays their role as well as they do and are left with skill players trying to play this role. If you can trade 1 young player, who is probably a bit over paid for 2 stud role players, guys like Tkachuk, Stutzle, Sanderson will carry the offense.

But I do agree, step one for the Sen is probably clearing out Giroux and Tarensko's contracts and drafting another high-end prospect.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

To some extent the conversations between the team and Backlund when he extended are important. I think the NMC was likely pretty important and not just from a "I need to choose my destination" aspect. Backlund may want to end his career here. That said, both players have 10 team lists. I'm betting most contenders will be on those lists. Ottawa - probably not.

That's true, but I could see it similar to Iggy choosing to go to COL. Instead of trying to join a Contender, join an up and coming team with a lot of young talent that's missing leadership.

I just don't know what would be Backlund's or Coleman's appetite to stay through a rebuild. For all I know Conroy and Backlund could have a similar agreement to what MTL has with Monahan this season - if the team sucks we'll trade you to a contender of your choice.

Obviously Ottawa isn't a contender, but I could see a lot more change than simply moving the UFAs in the offseason.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Ped

Backlund has 1 more in 9 more games, and Norris did come off a fairly major injury where he only played 8 games last season.

Backlund isn’t looked on as a point producing player, especially early in the season. If he was, he’d be viewed as much more than a 3rd line center.

Same can’t be said for Norris… and yet if the point production is similar then it doesn’t make a great case for Norris’s production (injury recovery aside)

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

For me, the 90s were the low point. Young Guns was a nice slogan, but looking at those teams, it was incredibly clear that the Flames had no chance with that talent. How we didn't end up drafting top 5 is still an absolute mystery to me. It never felt like we would ever make the playoffs. Even 2004 felt like a bit of a fluke.

I don't think this team is as bereft of talent, but it might be close after the sell off. I am ok with it, but truly burning the thing to the ground is terrifying to me, as I think that would lead to a solid 7-10 years of pain.

Was really only 3 seasons between when Fleury and all the previous vets like Cassels, McInnis, Nylander and those guys left before Conroy came in and Iginla began dominating that was the true "young guns" stretch. The period before when they were losing with a bunch of washed up vets was way worse.

Had either seasons or game packs all through that stretch and remembrance of it was that Fred Brathwaite was absolutely lights out for two of those seasons, and the team had a ton of plugs, but also enough scoring with a good goalie not to truly suck. Was the dead puck/trap era but aside from Iginla, Val Bure was pretty consistently around 30 goals and played very well. Marc Savard, Phil Housley and Cory Stillman were all decent offensive players as well.

The other thing about those teams was they would absolutely start kicking the #### out of other teams once a spread opened up, they always seemed to have 2 or 3 real tough guys and a crew of 5 or 6 middleweights behind them. Even when they were losing the games always felt eventful.

[Freeway]

It's worth noting that there were structural economic issues that made it financially impossible for the Flames (and other Canadian teams) to compete on equal footing with their American counterparts until the late 1990s.


Escalating salaries in the early '90s combined with the Canadian dollar tanking made things really, really tough.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Freeway

It's worth noting that there were structural economic issues that made it financially impossible for the Flames (and other Canadian teams) to compete on equal footing with their American counterparts until the late 1990s.


Escalating salaries in the early '90s combined with the Canadian dollar tanking made things really, really tough.

1000 percent true.

The 90s wasn't a rebuild, it was barely treading water and nearly drowning.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Freeway

It's worth noting that there were structural economic issues that made it financially impossible for the Flames (and other Canadian teams) to compete on equal footing with their American counterparts until the late 1990s.


Escalating salaries in the early '90s combined with the Canadian dollar tanking made things really, really tough.

It is a bit weird looking back that none of the Canadian teams tanked or tried to use a Tampa Bay Rays type strategy to compete, draft high initially and move the players out for more picks and futures as UFA status approached. The Canucks took a bit of a dive to get McCabe and the Sedins and Ottawa picked high for a bit after expansion, but the economic conditions with so much fear of the teams moving must have been a factor

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

That's true, but I could see it similar to Iggy choosing to go to COL. Instead of trying to join a Contender, join an up and coming team with a lot of young talent that's missing leadership.

I just don't know what would be Backlund's or Coleman's appetite to stay through a rebuild. For all I know Conroy and Backlund could have a similar agreement to what MTL has with Monahan this season - if the team sucks we'll trade you to a contender of your choice.

Obviously Ottawa isn't a contender, but I could see a lot more change than simply moving the UFAs in the offseason.

TBF, it took Iggy two seasons of cup hunting with Pittsburgh and Boston to decide to go somewhere else and I think Colorado threw some money at him. Tanguay and Skaic may have talked him into it through their personal relationships as well, and Iggy might also have thought they were closer to sucecss than they actually were - they had ROR and Duchene coming into their prime years, Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson were as well.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Matty81

It is a bit weird looking back that none of the Canadian teams tanked or tried to use a Tampa Bay Rays type strategy to compete, draft high initially and move the players out for more picks and futures as UFA status approached. The Canucks took a bit of a dive to get McCabe and the Sedins and Ottawa picked high for a bit after expansion, but the economic conditions with so much fear of the teams moving must have been a factor

McCabe and Bertuzzi were the return for Trevor Linden.