2024/2025 Season trade rumours and speculation thread

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Stamkos turns 35 in 2 months. Tampa likely saw how teams like Chicago and LA went from cup champs to full rebuild by rewarding all these players. They decided to go get Jake Guentzel who was 29 at the time of signing to be their big money scoring winger as opposed to Stamkos.

Tampa also allegedly offered Stamkos 8x$3M which he declined.

What smart team moves mountains to keep a 35 year old?

It was the right move as there's no room for sentimentality in professional sports if teams want to remain competitive.

[robertsfanatic]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

If your definition of a true contender equates to strong regular season success, then you are 100% correct (even if that success was never sustained year-to-year, those were definitely fun regular seasons).



I just don't attribute regular season success with being a contender - you don't know that a team is a contender or a pretender until... they actually contend, no?



Don't misunderstand me - those seasons are still fun seasons, and of course it is better to have regular season success than not. I just think a SCF is much more important than a divisional win, or finishing 1st in the west and then imploding in the playoffs in the first round. Can you really say that the Flames were contenders when you bow out in the first round, or only manage to win 1 game in the 2nd round? I can't. That's the point. Contenders actually contend, not just put up dazzling regular season stats.


Flames never contended for a cup in the last decade. They didn't even manage to be a consistent playoff team. A couple of fantastic regular season finishes doesn't make for a contender in my eyes. I myself THOUGHT that they were contenders, but with hindsight, can you really look back and say that they were contenders? I can't, which is why I stick to my definition. I understand why you stick to yours. Agree to disagree.

maybe it's just semantics then but i see Dino's point - when teams are rolling in the regular season then they are labelled contenders until they win or fizzle out (as you say).

like these filthy greasers this year or even the leafs some years - pre-season/regular season contenders until they aren't.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Ped

Yeah there's a big difference between trading your franchise guy to a contender when you're out of the playoffs, and letting your franchise guy go as a free agent when you are still trying to contend.

I don't think Stamkos was actually their franchise guy though. Was Gio when the Flames exposed him?

[Bingo]

Yeah I think any team that posts 100 points and wins a division is a contender. You have to play solid hockey for 6.5 months to pull that off.

The playoffs are tough, you need the bounces.

I wouldn't want to eliminate every team that loses in the first two rounds as pretenders.

But I do see the point about one year wonders and how sustainable ... or more likely they will fizzle out when it was one year only.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Dial that clock down a few more years and I think we'll be at the same thought.

If we are talking about this current Flames team and Andersson I agree he should not be extended and should be traded but teams at certain points in their window should have no problem giving a 27-30 year old player 6-8 year deal. Tampa was wise to not give Stamkos 4x8 but they did give a 29 year old 7x9M

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Yeah I think any team that posts 100 points and wins a division is a contender. You have to play solid hockey for 6.5 months to pull that off.

The playoffs are tough, you need the bounces.

I wouldn't want to eliminate every team that loses in the first two rounds as pretenders.

But I do see the point about one year wonders and how sustainable ... or more likely they will fizzle out when it was one year only.

I'm guilty as anyone at calling the Leafs pretenders but one of these years you have to think that much like the Oilers last season that they will get an easy first round opponent and the conference will part for them where they will face only one legit team to make the SCF.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Nah, you're implying a rationale I never used or made. For the record, I think anyone could tell you that a sample size of 2 wouldn't make sense but taking the average of a sample size of 30 is a different conversation.

The longer the sample, the more certain it is to regress towards the mean for the whole population. You're doing it wrong.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

If your definition of a true contender equates to strong regular season success, then you are 100% correct (even if that success was never sustained year-to-year, those were definitely fun regular seasons).



I just don't attribute regular season success with being a contender - you don't know that a team is a contender or a pretender until... they actually contend, no?



Don't misunderstand me - those seasons are still fun seasons, and of course it is better to have regular season success than not. I just think a SCF is much more important than a divisional win, or finishing 1st in the west and then imploding in the playoffs in the first round. Can you really say that the Flames were contenders when you bow out in the first round, or only manage to win 1 game in the 2nd round? I can't. That's the point. Contenders actually contend, not just put up dazzling regular season stats.


Flames never contended for a cup in the last decade. They didn't even manage to be a consistent playoff team. A couple of fantastic regular season finishes doesn't make for a contender in my eyes. I myself THOUGHT that they were contenders, but with hindsight, can you really look back and say that they were contenders? I can't, which is why I stick to my definition. I understand why you stick to yours. Agree to disagree.

I'm sure many will very much disagree, but I feel that Calgary's 2022/23 team behind Sutter had the best chance in the last 10 year cycle to go far in the playoffs if they could have collectively bought into his system and were able to sneak in.

The team looked like they had the makings to be a wear you down/tough out over a seven game, physical series. I really wanted to see that team get in.

[Royle9]

Friedman was on 32 thoughts commenting on Dylan Cozens likely being available from Buffalo. (Honestly sounds like they may fire sale)

With that said, I’ve previously commented on Calgary keeping an eye on Cozens back into last year so they’re certainly inquiring again.

Acquisition cost being the main discussion, what would the Flames give up?
I’m told that Buffalo wants a roster player back that can play the center posistion and likely a prospect or good pick.

Former 7th overall has completely fallen out of favour in Buffalo with many wondering if he too would add to the list of players that flourish under another organization like Reinhart and Eichel.

Fits the mood Craig is looking for almost perfectly.
RHS, 6’2 204 with a 30g campaign just 2 years ago.

With that said there’s a ton of interest, including our favourite Wizard hard in pursuit.

[ComixZone]

I definitely wouldn’t get into a bidding war for Cozens. As a buy low candidate? Absolutely, but if there’s a bunch of teams interested?

Just be patient and draft your own.

…Buffalo is close to Toronto, c’mon Nazem.

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Friedman was on 32 thoughts commenting on Dylan Cozens likely being available from Buffalo. (Honestly sounds like they may fire sale)

With that said, I’ve previously commented on Calgary keeping an eye on Cozens back into last year so they’re certainly inquiring again.

Acquisition cost being the main discussion, what would the Flames give up?
I’m told that Buffalo wants a roster player back that can play the center posistion and likely a prospect or good pick.

Former 7th overall has completely fallen out of favour in Buffalo with many wondering if he too would add to the list of players that flourish under another organization like Reinhart and Eichel.

Fits the mood Craig is looking for almost perfectly.
RHS, 6’2 204 with a 30g campaign just 2 years ago.

With that said there’s a ton of interest, including our favourite Wizard hard in pursuit.

I like the idea of Cozens, I think the fresh start would serve him well.

[Bonded]

Calgary doesn’t have any centres to give up for him anyways. No way Kadri or Backlund would waive

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Calgary doesn’t have any centres to give up for him anyways. No way Kadri or Backlund would waive

This. If they want a center back flames don’t make a good trade partner.

[dammage79]

I read Buffalos ask and I come up with Poirier and Pops for Cozens. Pops plays center. Not well but he plays center. Thinks he's a center.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Cozens is a hard no, especially with the cap hit.

If he had a 2-3 year deal it would be a potential buy low candidate, depending on what Buffalo wants.

Best deal for Buffalo would be to send him to Anaheim for Zegras. Or Montreal for Kirby Dach.

[Monahammer]

Can Blake Coleman play center? Lol

Rooney can... Maybe Rory Kerins is something they'd like to try?

I want Cozens bad.

[Monahammer]

Have to wonder if they're still thinking of trading one of the D men too. Byram + Cozens would be a great, great start to a new look flames.

I think Andersson + Kerins/Pospisil is still in the right value frame. Not sure if Andersson is what they want anymore though.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Can Blake Coleman play center? Lol

Rooney can... Maybe Rory Kerins is something they'd like to try?

I want Cozens bad.

Out of the young centers available in the rumor mill, Cozens is the top of my list as well. I hope Conroy can pull off this acquisition.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Cozens is a hard no, especially with the cap hit.

If he had a 2-3 year deal it would be a potential buy low candidate, depending on what Buffalo wants.

Best deal for Buffalo would be to send him to Anaheim for Zegras. Or Montreal for Kirby Dach.

I don't know. He is 23 and his cap hit would be around 7.6% of the cap the following year and continue to go down. If he puts it together that could be a value contract for 4 or 5 years.

To put it somewhat into perspective Mangipane when he signed his contract was 6.6% of the cap. Both signed after scoring 30 goals. Mangipane regressed to a 40 point player. I think the ceiling is higher for Conzens. If he can get back to 60ish points, that 7M is probably the new bar for 60 point players. He has the potential to exceed that in the right situation.

[Leeman4Gilmour]

It'd be hard to imagine Conroy not going after Cozens very hard. If you filter players by the criteria he has publicly stated, you get these players;


Mark Kastelic
Kirby Dach
Dylan Cozens
Shane Pinto
Matt Stienburg
Seth Jarvis
Dawson Mercer
Mavrik Bourque
Matt Rempe
Logan Stankoven
Wyatt Johnston
Ryan Winterton
Oliver Kapanen
Shane Wright
Matthew Poitras
Brad Lambert
Connor Bedard
Calum Ritchie
Will Smith
Jett Luchanko

Between who is available and who is desirable, I believe that list probably goes down to just Cozens. Maybe Wright? Conroy will make a serious offer I'm sure. Probably has.