2024/2025 Season trade rumours and speculation thread

[dammage79]

Byfield is only 22 years old as well. 2 years younger than Cozens. IMO, L.A would be insane to part ways with him but if they are....Conny best be on it like white on rice or a fat kid on a smartie.

[indes]

I would give up a ton of value for Byfield. Power forwards always take longer to develop and he's still very young.

Weegar + Pospisil + NJD 1st

[SuperMatt18]

I don't see a scenario where LA trade Byfield.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I don't see a scenario where LA trade Byfield.

Even before today or this week, his name's been in trade rumors it's just getting louder now. Generally I'd agree with you but there's a ton of noise here.

[indes]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I don't see a scenario where LA trade Byfield.

Especially in division. If they are looking to move on from him though the only things I wouldn't trade are Parekh and Wolf.
EDIT: Future 1st rounders also out.

I would move Zary or Coronato (preferably) for Byfield easily. 2025 firsts also on the table

[Monahammer]

if Byfield is dangling, I could see that being a Buffalo targer for Cozens+byram.

Cozens+Byram for Byfield + (something but not Clarke) is the type of trade that makes more sense. LA downgrades on Byfield but still has potential center upside and massively upgrades their LD. Buffalo gets a "do over" on developing another big C to stabilize their roster.

[Flames1217]

I don't see why they would trade him.

Kopitar is 37 and will be retiring in the next few years. Byfield is essentially their only hope when it comes to future top line centers. I understand they have holes in their roster but you can't justify moving him unless it's an absolute monster of a haul.

[dissentowner]

I think Kypreos is throwing crap out on this one. I have not heard anything about Byfield and it makes no sense for LA. Clickbait imo.

[SuperMatt18]

I believe it was Dennis Bernstein on Fan 960 yesterday who is close to the LA market and he said he'd be shocked if Byfield is moved, doesn't think it makes sense for LA, and that he didn't want to throw Kypreos under the bus but that he didn't think there is much truth to it.

[CFO]

Originally Posted by Flames1217

I don't see why they would trade him.

Kopitar is 37 and will be retiring in the next few years. Byfield is essentially their only hope when it comes to future top line centers. I understand they have holes in their roster but you can't justify moving him unless it's an absolute monster of a haul.

Byfield a winger not center

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by CFO

Byfield a winger not center

He’s a centre. Drafted as one and 3rd on LA for faceoffs this year.

[Harry Lime]

I don't think that byfield moves.... but,

Would you move huberdeau at 50% retention to do it? 5.2M dead cap for seven years, but it exactly fills LAs needs and calgarys.

[ResAlien]

CFO isn't exactly wrong, Byfield spent the last few years as a winger before apparently being moved back to centre this year.

https://lakingsinsider.com/2024/09/2...-step-forward/

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

I don't think that byfield moves.... but,

Would you move huberdeau at 50% retention to do it? 5.2M dead cap for seven years, but it exactly fills LAs needs and calgarys.

That’s like the equivalent of 7 first round picks.

So, no way.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Good might be the wrong word, but when the team got off to a start that had them in a playoff position after 25 games or so their is very little a GM can do to sabotage that. You're still trying to build an organizational culture, and had enough young guys on the roster that it would have been a bad message.

And being a tire fire 98% of the time is completely an overstatement. Goaltending is a big part of why they are playing well, but not the only reason.

They very much are in the playoff bubble mix based on overall play.

Looking at all situations:

Save Percentage: .896 - 10th
Shooting Percentage: 9.05% - 30th

Corsi For %: 50.9% - 11th
Shots For %: 50.1% - 15th
xGF %: 49.0% - 22nd

The numbers support that they play a very borning game that's worked for them. So really it's buy in to the team game, plus strong goaltending is why they are where they are.

And TBH I don't think your overall point is wrong. Getting a top 5 pick this year likely would have been better than making the playoffs for this team in the long term.

But you don't control the outcome and there wasn't really anything reasonable the Flames could have done once the season had started to make themselves considerably worse, with the only real move trading Andersson but even that wouldn't have guaranteed it.

So it's not something to really get too mad about, and it's still not a "wasted season" - we just have to hope they don't change the long term strategy and I personally don't' think Conroy is changing the plan.

Even signing Rantanen wouldn't change that for me...I'm not even the biggest fan but I can see why any team would want to bring in a player of that calibre for free. Teams like San Jose and Chicago are rumoured to be interested too.

But if they go move any of the 2025 or 2026 1st rounders for a guy that's 29 years old then that's a different question. But if the guys they are acquiring are 25 or younger then to me that's been part of the plan since the day Conroy was hired - he's been very transparent about wanting to add pieces in that age range.



I don't think I said anywhere in my posts that you said to trade everyone...funny part is I think both of us agree they should have traded Anderssson last offseason but also that it wouldn't have made a huge difference to the outcome of this season since outside of the first 10 games his play hasn't been great anyways.

In terms of Rantanen I worry that his next contract could be like Huberdeau - they play a bit of a similar game at times in terms of being non-puck dominant wingers that played at times with elite centers. But at the same time I wouldn't fault any team for trying to bring him in as a UFA where it costs nothing but cap space.

In regards to piling up on middle 6 players I don't necessarily disagree with that take either - they need legitimate first line talent. But I think if they are bringing someone like Cozens in it's because they think he can be top line talent - now I wouldn't necessarily agree with that assessment since he hasn't shown that potential since being drafted outside of one season but I actually trust the scouts and GM in their assessment of talent right now.

Well don't lump me in with that guy, nowhere have I said anything he has. All over the place one day says we will forever suck, next day its trade for Cozens, now Byfield. After proposing that he will complain the management sucks for doing what he wants if they made those trades.

If you agree with me on most things, why lump in with him for no reason. All I have said all along is don't let a fluke season fool you like it did in 14/15 thinking it's time to go in. That team wasn't ready, and it showed when they picked #6 overall a few seasons later.

Never did I say don't ever trade any picks. I said don't trade picks now, a player like Cozens isn't worth it. You keep those picks for guys who will make an impact on your team when the team is ready to compete. That time is not now. ZConroy himself said it is so hard to get 1st round picks, so if it's so difficult don't be so ready to deal them if that is what they are offering. I will remain bullish on Cozens being a franchise crippling trade like Hamonic. Poor underlying stats year over year, we need play driving centers.

Conroy is fine, but our pro scouts the jury still out seems like a lot of holdovers from the Treliving era.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by traptor

Saw this in flamesnation. If Byfield is available, I hope the flames make a big push.

Holy crap! How is he not part of the solution there? You want more guys like him, not less.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Holy crap! How is he not part of the solution there? You want more guys like him, not less.

Doesn't make any sense for LA to deal him, they are aging out at the top and he is the future.

Kypreos throws out a lot of names.

Rob Blake got a get out of jail free card with dumping PLD, if he dumps Byfield he will be punted.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Doesn't make any sense for LA to deal him, they are aging out at the top and he is the future.

Kypreos throws out a lot of names.

Rob Blake got a get out of jail free card with dumping PLD, if he dumps Byfield he will be punted.

Yeah. Only two teams have lost fewer games than them in regulation. Not sure why they’d trade a young important piece of that for anything.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I think Kypreos is throwing crap out on this one. I have not heard anything about Byfield and it makes no sense for LA. Clickbait imo.

But you did say your most accurate information is Toronto-based, no?

[Toonage]

If you've ever seen Kypreos share his insider info on TV you can literally see him plucking names out of the air.