2024/2025 Season trade rumours and speculation thread

[dammage79]

There's that center depth conversation creeping up.

Hopefully it's not long term for Zary.

Kerins deserves a shot but after that, another injury and presto, center depth depleted.

[Toonage]

Then we're looking at Clark Bishop as the 3C and a sell off as the playoffs are certainly not happening.

Edit - Forgot about Sam Morton

[Calgary4LIfe]

Reply in bolded:

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

I don't really agree with this part of your post, C4L, because this roster didn't really get much worse, if at all. The only thing we did lose are more household names, but statistically the players that replaced the ones that left are not worse. I don't agree with this assertion, but even if this is true, was Conroy thinking that these replacements would have been equal to or greater than the departing players? Or did this team make moves that they though would take the team a step back this year? From all the soundbites that came from Conroy, it sure seems like the thought process was expecting less success this season for more success in future seasons, and that's the overall point here. Calgary is playing with a tonne of effort and playing above expectations. That doesn't mean that that - on paper - they didn't take a step back, and that on paper, all rest of the bottom 10 teams last season took a step forward.


For example, Zary effectively "replaced" Lindholm, because Kadri and Backlund are the two constants at center the last 2 years. Is Zary having a worse year this year than Lindholm did last year? I don't think so.
2 things here: 1) Zary has better GPG, but Lindholm had better PPG. Lindholm was also a more experienced centre - better on draws, defence and was stronger. I love Zary moving forward, and I am glad that the Flames moved on from Lindholm (especially at the rumored deal), but I can't agree that Zary this year is necessarily better than Lindholm. 2) Zary was on the team last year... so this makes this point moot.

Wolf basically "replaced" Markstrom. Is Wolf worse this year than Markstrom was last year? I don't think so.
Agree to disagree here. Markstrom was the team's MVP last season. Given his deployment vs Wolf's deployment, I would disagree considerably that Wolf this year >= Markstrom last year. I think that Wolf is the future, and I do believe that he will become a good starter in this league, but he isn't there yet. Markstrom was (and continues to be) a better than average starter in this league (and starter, not 1A/1B tandem).

A rookie Coronato this season basically "replaced" rookie Zary last year. Was that a downgrade? Not really.
Well, Zary was on both teams, so replaced isn't accurate. More accurately, one could say that Coronato didn't replace anyone, since Matt Coronato made the opening night roster last season. Him improving and getting more opportunity now on top of it is gravy, but essentially you are comparing Coronato to Coronato on opening night rosters, which was the point.

And you can do this down the lineup. Plus add in the improved play of Huberdeau and Andersson, etc, etc.. Again, I think we just lost household names, but we didn't get worse. And honestly, in many instances I think we got better. And the the important thing is, those players that are here will continue to get better.
Again, this is not the point. Whether players improve or not, doesn't influence the comment of: "The Flames have a worse lineup to start this season vs the start of last season." Sure, players are going to have up and down seasons. We can go up and down the lineup of which players are playing better or worse - for instance, Coleman isn't going to get 30 goals again. Kuzmenko and Sharangovich are doing worse. The point still remains that the opening night roster was much stronger last season than this season, not which players are exceeding expectations or are having poor years relative to one another.

For example, when Backlund and Coleman eventually regress, they will be easily replaced by an improved Zary and Coronato, etc.. And an improved Zary and Coronato will help us continue being competitive and not tank. And again this can be applied down the lineup. Our team is good enough such that the players that regress and leave can be effectively replaced by the players that take their place without really becoming worse. I believe that about our team and players.
Agree in principal, but as Kadri, Backlund, Coleman etc., age and regress, you can't expect Zary and Coronato to make up for their regression fully, plus keep up to their existing numbers. More players are going to have to come through the system. There will be some help coming in next season, but they will be raw. Backlund and Coleman's contributions are massively underappreciated. Kadri is a very effective centre that is difficult to play against as well. I expect growth from the kids, but I don't expect vet-replacement here. I think this team will improve over time as the existing young players + the cream of the AHL crop + current and future draft picks develop.

But that leaves the question, are those players good enough so that when we do come out of this "rebuild", are we actually better than we were with Johnny and Tkachuk (and no cup)? I have some doubts about that. Like realistically, best case scenario, a guy like Zary becomes a 70pt two-way player. Is that good enough to pit against the Mackinnons and McDavids and Bedards and Celebrinis? And if not, where are we getting that player? From the draft that we didn't tank enough to get top 5?
It isn't always about drafting superstars, it is about building the best teams slotted correctly. Sure, you may lose the battle heads-up vs McDavid, but how does the rest of the team do? Can you minimize a McDavid? IMO, Gaudreau, Tkachuk, etc., were players that were good enough to win with, but the problem was the constant holes on the team. Poor goaltending most playoffs, lack of a really good 2nd line that can score, lack of defensive depth at times, poor coaching at times, etc., etc.

I love Zary, but I would hope that this team drafts at least 2 centres with a higher ceiling than him. I think he can develop into a really good 2nd line centre, but I would hope the Flames draft a 1st line centre, plus another 2st line centre, and be like the '89 Flames. They will get opportunities to draft coming up. I disagree with your assertion that this team is better this season than last, but we will definitely see how they end up in the standings. I think there will be a really good chance at drafting a C this year by the time all is said and done, and I do think it is likely that the Flames finish even worse the following year. However, there are probably some impact players already drafted, and a few core pieces. Parekh and Wolf. Zary at worst is looking to be an elite 3rd line C (key word worst here). I like some of the defensive prospects. Some of the forwards look like they can become impact players down the road. This is already a very deep prospect pool that just needs some high-end talent, and I think it will come in the next few drafts. This may be the best year as I feel Pittsburgh is going to tank next season, and there are no teams 'tanking' this year.

This is why I see us being stuck where we are, and continuing to be stuck in this cycle.
I don't think Conroy is going to have us stuck in this cycle. Whether you think this team is going to bottom-out further or not, Conroy prioritizes the draft. He scouts a lot himself. He has been adamant about the importance of building this up from the draft from almost every interview I have seen. I wouldn't worry so much about us coming out of this being mediocre. I think the Flames were mediocre under Treliving, aside from the a couple of nice regular seasons, because it was a rushed rebuild. Way too many holes. Treliving spent a lot of draft capital on trying to augment the team and plug holes. Just a constant bleeding of draft capital. I don't think Conroy will approach it the same way. Flames have been finding a lot of good pieces deep into the draft, and with all the bullets that they have acquired, I do think that they will find some more. I think they will come out of this really well, but I do think they will also bottom-out further than what we have seen.

So then we are left between a rock and a hard place. Do we hope that guys like Zary and Wolf etc. regress next year so that we can get a realistic shot at McKenna? Or do we cheer on Zary and Wolf to improve and watch us continue to win? Or do we hold on to the delusion of Zary and Wolf continuing to improve while at the same time winning no games so we can get McKenna?
This will make you feel better:
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...000432016.html

You had a PPG Gaudreau, a Norris calibre D in Giordano, Brodie and Hamilton that were very good, a prime Backlund, a very good Monahan, a young Bennett, Hudler for most of the season, Frolik who was a really good defensive forward, etc. I think that roster is better than this roster, yet they finished 5th worst.


How about:
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/...000432014.html
This roster picked 4th overall, and for half a season, they were really good (so good, that Aaron Ward famously picked them to make the playoffs the following year correctly).


You can both expect improvement in Zary, Coronato and Wolf, and at the same time, see regression in overall points. Can the Flames continue to out-work every team they face and win? Will Conroy make further moves trading away vets, and how will that impact the rest of the team?

Think of it this way - look at San Jose's roster. They have Celebrini, Zetterlund, Smith, Ecklund and Askarov as young players, plus solid vets like Granlund, Toffoli, Goodrow - they have 6 guys OVER 30 on that team, plus another 8 guys 25-29. They are 2nd last. I wouldn't worry about Zary and Wolf pushing this team that far up the standings. Gaudrau, Monahan, Giordano, etc. finished pretty low at the same years.



The Backlunds and Colemans and Kadris and Huberdeaus keep us competitive but not elite, and in my opinion, the Zarys and Coronatos and Pelletiers and Wolfs will more or less do the same.
The issue is that there is a gap right now. The team has a lot of vets, and some young guys, but not a whole lot in the middle. There is a big gap between 25-30. How many good players are there? Sharangovich (when he is playing well). Andersson (who may be traded). Vladar (who is also likely to be traded). It is a relative desert in the middle there. Vets are aging (and some may be traded on top of this), some good young players starting to emerge, but not much in the middle or 'prime' age. It will take a while for the young players to keep us in mush-middle as you described, without Conroy going out and adding to that age group (and I don't think he will - he keeps emphasizing 18-23).

Anyway, just stop worrying and just enjoy the wins and don't get too upset at the losses. Just see how this unfolds. Maybe you are right and this team continues to hover around a bubble-team the rest of the year and beyond. I do think that the Flames - as long as they are focused on drafting and development - can pull themselves up the standings over time without tanking. The problem is that they simply haven't focused on that enough, as they came out of the last rebuild too soon and have been plugging holes ever since (in addition to wasted years of poor coaching and bad cap hits). Conroy seems to be doing it differently now, and he was also here for all of it in the past, so hopefully he has learned a few lessons along the way and won't repeat the same mistakes. I will go by what he said: "We need patience. It will take a few seasons." in an interview near the start of this season. I am still excited about the direction of this team long term.

[Bingo]

You just never know what a lack of depth at a position can bring though.

Flames go into the season with a perceived battle between Cole Schwindt and Kevin Rooney for the fourth line job. Rooney wins out, so the Flames try and get Schwindt to the AHL but have him claimed by Vegas.

Flames call up Kirkland from the AHL and try him at center.

Wranglers lose their 1st line center in Schwindt and have to get creative with Kerins, who just came off an underwhelming first pro season.

Steps in, becomes an AHL star, and never looks back.

Does he find his way if he didn't toil for a team with weak center depth, a Rooney injury, and a Schwindt claim?

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Bingo

You just never know what a lack of depth at a position can bring though.

Flames go into the season with a perceived battle between Cole Schwindt and Kevin Rooney for the fourth line job. Rooney wins out, so the Flames try and get Schwindt to the AHL but have him claimed by Vegas.

Flames call up Kirkland from the AHL and try him at center.

Wranglers lose their 1st line center in Schwindt and have to get creative with Kerins, who just came off an underwhelming first pro season.

Steps in, becomes an AHL star, and never looks back.

Does he find his way if he didn't toil for a team with weak center depth, a Rooney injury, and a Schwindt claim?

Everything happens for a reason?

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

Everything happens for a reason?

Lack of depth at any level creates opportunity. Which increases the chance that a skilled hard-working individual grabs it.

That's one of the reasons I'm more optimistic about the Flames' rebuild this time around.

[SuperMatt18]

I really hope they don't overthink this and give Kerins a shot to take that 3C role with Zary hurt.

He's not a perfect player and still has work to do but giving him a couple games in a more sheltered role with a guy he's familiar with (Pelletier and him had great chemistry in the AHL) to see what you have there and give him a taste of the NHL is a great opportunity.

Actually in general there are a group of Wranglers that really need to get more of a look over the next 42 games:

Kerins
Klapka
Morton
Poirier
Kuznetsov
Grushnikov

If I'm not mistaken all 6 of those guys lose their waiver exemptions next season and it would be nice to get them some NHL games this season while you have the flexibility to easily move them up and down (still don't love that guys like Hanley/Barrie got roles over one of LH youngsters, and wouldn't mind Morton/Klapka in the 4th line role over Rooney/Duehr).

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I really hope they don't overthink this and give Kerins a shot to take that 3C role with Zary hurt.

He's not a perfect player and still has work to do but giving him a couple games in a more sheltered role with a guy he's familiar with (Pelletier and him had great chemistry in the AHL) to see what you have there and give him a taste of the NHL is a great opportunity

This would cascade to the Wranglers where Honzek would move up a line at centre. I know they've been playing him at centre but I don't know how regularly.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I think the right thing would be to reward Kerins when an opportunity comes along. Keeps him hungry, and shows the rest of the Wranglers that there is indeed opportunity here. Hopefully he does well, but regardless of his performance, this is both a good reward for him, as well as some first-hand experience of what the NHL is to help with his development.

[Royle9]

Saw some rumblings around a trade with Seattle, I'll add I personally see it as too good to be true but I figured I'd share.

I've reached out to check its authenticity.

Proposal:

SEA acquires: Vladar + Pelletier
CGY acquires: Shane Wright

Again, seems to good to be true but sharing as a few have reported this "rumor"

[Jiri Hrdina]

Yes please. But yeah seems way too good to be true.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Saw some rumblings around a trade with Seattle, I'll add I personally see it as too good to be true but I figured I'd share.

I've reached out to check its authenticity.

Proposal:

SEA acquires: Vladar + Pelletier
CGY acquires: Shane Wright

Again, seems to good to be true but sharing as a few have reported this "rumor"

Seems way too good to be true unless Shane Wright’s stock has really dropped. Can’t say I e seen enough to comment fairly.

[Enoch Root]

I'm willing to throw in a 3rd, just to push it over the line.

[Bonded]

Kraken would be ripped for that one. Honzek + Vladar seems more fair.
Also who the heck is in the photo for Wright?
https://www.nhl.com/kraken/player/shane-wright-8483524

[Enoch Root]

It all depends on what value they place on Vladar - obviously a lot more than most Flames fans do.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Also who the heck is in the photo for Wright?
https://www.nhl.com/kraken/player/shane-wright-8483524

Cody Eakin?

[SuperMatt18]

Feels like a 1st would have to attached to that too

[dammage79]

I want this trade. More than anything.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Seems way too good to be true unless Shane Wright’s stock has really dropped. Can’t say I e seen enough to comment fairly.

He's producing as much as Backlund is. He's a RHS center. He's RFA level 21 year old. I want this. Even if the rumor is too good to be true but it's popping up in Seattles hemisphere, I'd hope Conny is on top of it. Even if he plateaus as a 3rd C, that's a solid acquisition for the Flames. I believe he's got 2c left in him to extract.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Saw some rumblings around a trade with Seattle, I'll add I personally see it as too good to be true but I figured I'd share.

I've reached out to check its authenticity.

Proposal:

SEA acquires: Vladar + Pelletier
CGY acquires: Shane Wright

Again, seems to good to be true but sharing as a few have reported this "rumor"

You would think that Grubauer would need to come back as well? They definitely do not want to run a 3 headed goalie monster and his $5.9M cap hit is pretty bad when compared to his 5-12 record.

Eating Grubauer's contract for 2 years would be easier if it came with Wright.
I wonder if the Flames are on his 10 team NTC list. Probably.

Either way, Vladar would be an upgrade based on this season's performance and match ups.