2024/2025 Season trade rumours and speculation thread

[FlamesAddiction]

Three years is a pretty short term contract these days. The Avs probably wanted a shorter term deal for future cap management purposes, while Nelson probably wanted a longer term deal for financial security purposes. Not that it's a gross overpayment, but it probably has a little higher of an AAV due to the short length. He'll be hitting free agency next when he is 36, which isn't a great position to be in for most players.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by BigThief

Anyone shocked at that contract hasn't looked at the numbers Nelson has put up the last four seasons.

Looks pretty in line with cap inflation. $6-8 million is what a good middle six player costs now.

Wait until people see the Sam Bennett contract.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by blankall

Looks pretty in line with cap inflation. $6-8 million is what a good middle six player costs now.

Wait until people see the Sam Bennett contract.

I’m betting he stays with the Panthers at 8 x 7.5.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I’m sure Conroy will be active looking for another centre with potential top six upside (Necas/Mercer/Rossi) but I think I’d rather just go with Kadri-Zary-Frost-Backlund this year. Zary has shown solid progression for 2 straight years in the NHL and looked great at centre last year. If it works out and Zary turns into a legit 2nd line center - great! Found the solution internally. If it doesn’t work out and the team struggles - great! It’s a good year to have a high pick.

I’m fine getting another young centre that will be signed for long term if it doesn’t cost any of the young players in the system but I’m not sure that’s realistic.

But this is the Calgary Flames way of doing things. Wait and see how it goes and hope for the best.

The Flames need to get more aggressive in what direction they want to go. I'm all for keeping Zary if we trade Coleman and Kadri for picks and go with a much younger team. But the insiders on here say that is not an option.

Keeping these guys blocks this team from drafting high enough to get a superstar. Odds of getting a superstar outside the top 5 is very low and teams that tank have extra picks and probably are more likely to hit on a superstar picked outside the top 5 than we are.

If we are not tanking, we need to get aggressive to upgrade our top 6. If you look at who wins the cup and use the following criteria.

Team that wins has a top 5 center or top 5 dman or a winger that is considered top 10 player in the league. 95% of teams that win the cup have elite players. Guys in the mix as best forwards or defense. Teams that try to depth their way to a cup, roll 4 lines and win, very rarely win without at least 1 line or top pairing that is elite. Carolina and Dallas are 2 examples of teams that have great teams that just can't get over the hump due to lack of elite talent. Dallas tried to address this with Rantanen, but now they have killed their cap situation and probably need to re-tool.

Flames chances of adding elite at the top of the draft is dwindling as the prospects develop. We can't blow this unless we want to just make the playoffs.

If we want to manage cap, not tank and trade for a star then we need to make decisions on young players who are about to get paid when they still have big value. Zary is not going to be a star, some might disagree, but he is replaceable through the system. We need to upgrade and do it with the players we got. Rasmus and Zary for Mercer also has the potential of being good but losing 2 for 1 could drive us down the standings and get us a top pick as well as probably an extra pick in the trade. Mercer IMO is the most valuable player in the deal but losing Rasmus who plays 24 mins a night leaves a hole in the roster and probably helps this team tank down the standings.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

But this is the Calgary Flames way of doing things. Wait and see how it goes and hope for the best.

The Flames need to get more aggressive in what direction they want to go. I'm all for keeping Zary if we trade Coleman and Kadri for picks and go with a much younger team. But the insiders on here say that is not an option.

Keeping these guys blocks this team from drafting high enough to get a superstar. Odds of getting a superstar outside the top 5 is very low and teams that tank have extra picks and probably are more likely to hit on a superstar picked outside the top 5 than we are.

If we are not tanking, we need to get aggressive to upgrade our top 6. If you look at who wins the cup and use the following criteria.

Team that wins has a top 5 center or top 5 dman or a winger that is considered top 10 player in the league. 95% of teams that win the cup have elite players. Guys in the mix as best forwards or defense. Teams that try to depth their way to a cup, roll 4 lines and win, very rarely win without at least 1 line or top pairing that is elite. Carolina and Dallas are 2 examples of teams that have great teams that just can't get over the hump due to lack of elite talent. Dallas tried to address this with Rantanen, but now they have killed their cap situation and probably need to re-tool.

Flames chances of adding elite at the top of the draft is dwindling as the prospects develop. We can't blow this unless we want to just make the playoffs.

If we want to manage cap, not tank and trade for a star then we need to make decisions on young players who are about to get paid when they still have big value. Zary is not going to be a star, some might disagree, but he is replaceable through the system. We need to upgrade and do it with the players we got. Rasmus and Zary for Mercer also has the potential of being good but losing 2 for 1 could drive us down the standings and get us a top pick as well as probably an extra pick in the trade. Mercer IMO is the most valuable player in the deal but losing Rasmus who plays 24 mins a night leaves a hole in the roster and probably helps this team tank down the standings.

It's Wolf blocking the Flames from tanking. Kadri and Coleman are great mentors for our the plethora of mid-six/energy guys we have in the lineup. Getting rid of them will improve our draft position a few spots, but make the overall future of the Flames worse.

The Flames aren't getting bottom 5 with Wolf in net.

The odds of any team getting a #1 goalie, a #1 d-man, and a #1 centre via the top end of the draft are low. The Flames have 2/3 via their rebuild, which is pretty good.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by blankall

It's Wolf blocking the Flames from tanking. Kadri and Coleman are great mentors for our the plethora of mid-six/energy guys we have in the lineup. Getting rid of them will improve our draft position a few spots, but make the overall future of the Flames worse.

The Flames aren't getting bottom 5 with Wolf in net.

The odds of any team getting a #1 goalie, a #1 d-man, and a #1 centre via the top end of the draft are low. The Flames have 2/3 via their rebuild, which is pretty good.

The wrong 2/3.

The 1 C is necessary. It's the 1C + 1 of the other 2. Edmonton is actually proving right now that 2 1Cs can basically get it done without the other components.

We have seen this story before. We can have the best winger and goalie in the league, a top 5 defense, and it probably still won't be enough.

Further, I reject that Wolf is blocking this possibility. The Ducks picked top 10 a bunch with Gibson.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The wrong 2/3.

The 1 C is necessary. It's the 1C + 1 of the other 2. Edmonton is actually proving right now that 2 1Cs can basically get it done without the other components.

We have seen this story before. We can have the best winger and goalie in the league, a top 5 defense, and it probably still won't be enough.

Further, I reject that Wolf is blocking this possibility. The Ducks picked top 10 a bunch with Gibson.

The Oilers drafted McDavid. A player like that comes along once in a generation. It took the Oilers four #1 overall picks to get McDavid. The league has now changed the rules, so you can't draft that many first overall picks anymore.

If the strategy is suck until you draft a McDavid level talent, it's probably not going to work out for you. For every Oilers with a McDavid, there's a dozen teams, who had the same strategy, with no McDavid and no cup.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by blankall

The Oilers drafted McDavid. A player like that comes along once in a generation. It took the Oilers four #1 overall picks to get McDavid. The league has now changed the rules, so you can't draft that many first overall picks anymore.

If the strategy is suck until you draft a McDavid level talent, it's probably not going to work out for you. For every Oilers with a McDavid, there's a dozen teams, who had the same strategy, with no McDavid and no cup.

They have two, the Draisaitl is a passenger line we've been pumping out for years has been proven false. They got 2.

Go the other way and find teams that are frequent contenders win the cup without that level of talent. It's harder. Boston, basically... but Bergeron Chara is also not a replicable model. At least there's a path to the rebuild strategy.

Buffalo is the only real team who has truly bottomed out and failed to climb back up though. The other half measure bottom out teams are also floundering (Detroit). We're setting up to be a less youthfully talented Detroit right now.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by blankall

The Oilers drafted McDavid. A player like that comes along once in a generation. It took the Oilers four #1 overall picks to get McDavid. The league has now changed the rules, so you can't draft that many first overall picks anymore.

If the strategy is suck until you draft a McDavid level talent, it's probably not going to work out for you. For every Oilers with a McDavid, there's a dozen teams, who had the same strategy, with no McDavid and no cup.

Or the Islanders come and steal your first overall.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The wrong 2/3.

The 1 C is necessary. It's the 1C + 1 of the other 2. Edmonton is actually proving right now that 2 1Cs can basically get it done without the other components.

We have seen this story before. We can have the best winger and goalie in the league, a top 5 defense, and it probably still won't be enough.

Further, I reject that Wolf is blocking this possibility. The Ducks picked top 10 a bunch with Gibson.

Gibson sucks though, as evident by the fact he is not even the best goalie on their team anymore.

[Monahammer]

Better numbers than Wolf when he came into the league, so you better hope that's not our trajectory if we are relying on Wolf to carry the team to a cup by the time we are in contention lol.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by blankall

It's Wolf blocking the Flames from tanking. Kadri and Coleman are great mentors for our the plethora of mid-six/energy guys we have in the lineup. Getting rid of them will improve our draft position a few spots, but make the overall future of the Flames worse.

The Flames aren't getting bottom 5 with Wolf in net.

The odds of any team getting a #1 goalie, a #1 d-man, and a #1 centre via the top end of the draft are low. The Flames have 2/3 via their rebuild, which is pretty good.

Since 2000 draft - Flames 1st round picks broken down by top 10 vs rest of 1st

Top 10:

Krahn
Nystrom
Phaneuf
Monahan
Bennett
Tkachuk
Parekh

Rest of 1st:
Koabsew
Chucko
Pelech
Irving
Backlund
Nemisz
Erixon
Baertschi
Jankowski
Porier
Valimaki
Pelletier
Zary
Cornato
Honzek

We have had more than double the picks outside the top 10, yet what core are you taking?

Lets rank best to worst of players that matter> I''l go first

1. Tkachuk
2. Bennett
3. Monahan
4. Backlund
5. Coronato
6. Phaneuf
7. Zary

Prospects

1. Parekh
2. Honzek

I can see Zary move to center and climbing past Backlund and maybe Monahan. I can see Coronato climbing the list but not to Tkachuk's level.

Top 2 guys have been the finals 3 years in a row. Tkachuk might have won conn smyth if they won the 1st year. Bennett might win it this year if the win the cup. If the plan isn't to get younger now and get a top pick, we need to manage assets, manage cap and wait for a star player to be available. Manage top 6 and top 4 d along the way. Build bottom 6 when the core is built. Make 2 for 1 trades for best player in deal and hope it works out. Depth in all 4 lines does nothing for this team right now.

Leave room on the roster for surprise prospects that are better than expected.

[PepsiFree]

Wolf was better at every level than Gibson. The difference is that Gibson came into a prime Ducks team, and Wolf came into a non-playoff team.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

They have two, the Draisaitl is a passenger line we've been pumping out for years has been proven false. They got 2.

Go the other way and find teams that are frequent contenders win the cup without that level of talent. It's harder. Boston, basically... but Bergeron Chara is also not a replicable model. At least there's a path to the rebuild strategy.

Buffalo is the only real team who has truly bottomed out and failed to climb back up though. The other half measure bottom out teams are also floundering (Detroit). We're setting up to be a less youthfully talented Detroit right now.

Columbus has bottomed out and continues to be awful, they have 5 picks in the top 6 over the past 10 years. Utah has been bad forever and they have 7 picks in the top 7 in the last 11 years. The Blackhawks are years away from being competitive and they have had 5 picks in the top 7 over the last 7 years. The Ducks are horrific and they have had 4 picks in the top 6 over the last 5 years.

It is more accurate to say any team that tanks usually just sucks forever.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

They have two, the Draisaitl is a passenger line we've been pumping out for years has been proven false. They got 2.

Go the other way and find teams that are frequent contenders win the cup without that level of talent. It's harder. Boston, basically... but Bergeron Chara is also not a replicable model. At least there's a path to the rebuild strategy.

Buffalo is the only real team who has truly bottomed out and failed to climb back up though. The other half measure bottom out teams are also floundering (Detroit). We're setting up to be a less youthfully talented Detroit right now.

This must be an example of the ‘abstract’ thinking you were on about the other day.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

The wrong 2/3.

The 1 C is necessary. It's the 1C + 1 of the other 2. Edmonton is actually proving right now that 2 1Cs can basically get it done without the other components.

We have seen this story before. We can have the best winger and goalie in the league, a top 5 defense, and it probably still won't be enough.

Further, I reject that Wolf is blocking this possibility. The Ducks picked top 10 a bunch with Gibson.

When Gibson joined and was good the Ducks drafted in the 20s. When the Ducks have been drafting high he's been a sub .900 goalie and in the last couple years, the backup.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

When Gibson joined and was good the Ducks drafted in the 20s. When the Ducks have been drafting high he's been a sub .900 goalie and in the last couple years, the backup.

Not 100% correct. Also it's probably given that sv% will slip if the team slips in front of you. List of goalie season where the goalie played significant games, had a great sv% and the team picked top 10

Miller - 2014 2 OV
Vokoun - 2010 3 OV
Vokoun - 2011 3 OV
Price - 2012 3 OV
Schneider - 2015 6 OV
Bobrovsky - 2011 8 OV
Schneider - 2013 9 OV
Gibson - 2019 9 OV

10 times and a pretty good list of goalies that played on bad teams and the had good SV% and stayed healthy and the team lost enough to pick in the top 10. Is Wolf better than Ryan Miller or Carey Price?

[Erick Estrada]

I will say it looks like the tanking is paying off for the Sharks. They are getting close to embarrassment of riches especially after taking the 2nd best player in the 2025 draft.

[HitterD]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I will say it looks like the tanking is paying off for the Sharks. They are getting close to embarrassment of riches especially after taking the 2nd best player in the 2025 draft.

I don’t necessarily disagree but this has been said about many teams who tank and accumulate a tonne of draft picks, and multiple high ones. They don’t all come out of it at the end as a stacked super team, but some obviously do. I think where I stand in this debate, is that tanking is likely the best path to getting the young high-end talent needed to succeed, but this strategy also is a crap shoot for its own reasons (draft lottery luck, and hoping the high end picks turn into elite players and not just good players)

I’m not convinced (yet) that SJ is that team to be the next contender, but they could be. So could Chicago but I’m even less convinced there.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I will say it looks like the tanking is paying off for the Sharks. They are getting close to embarrassment of riches especially after taking the 2nd best player in the 2025 draft.

I posted this in the Coture retirement thread with his contract off the books, they are a team to watch. They have Smith and Celebrinni who were both rookies. Eklund took a step forward. Askaraov could be next year's wolf.

Also rumors that they are after Marner, Ekblad, Rasmus. They have the cap space to land all 3. Add Misa and a bunch of other good NHL ready prospects. They will not be at the bottom anymore.