2024/2025 Season trade rumours and speculation thread

[RedHawk12]

It will be interesting to see whether Kadri demands a trade 2 or 3 years from now when he's struggling and we are not competitive. And the return will understandably be minimal but it's not management's fault because Kadri demanded a trade and he had a NTC, which really limited his market.

I'm making up scenarios here but only because we've seen it before. And we'll come up with excuses when that happens as well.

We let Hanifin's agent dick us around ffs. The dude with no trade protection somehow managed to significantly crater his own value for the Flames. But not our fault at all.

I get that we're a small market team and we can't attract players like the big markets, so we have to overpay and appease our players. But when you let others dictate terms and walk over you, they always will. The biggest criticism I hear about the Flames organization from the outside (in different terms and in different forms) is that we let our players run the show too much.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

We let Hanifin's agent dick us around ffs. The dude with no trade protection somehow managed to significantly crater his own value for the Flames. But not our fault at all.

He had some trade protection even if it was only 8 teams. Sure there's 23 other teams but if he had no interest in signing with them that would lower the list of interested teams.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Nothing wrong with what Conroy has done. The issue is always going to Edwards.

Yep, it all comes down to Murray Edwards. He doesn't have the patience for a rebuild and he would be over 70 by the time we were competitive.

Unfortunately, we will never be a contender with him around. And even seeing the reaction here, it seems most fans are fine with us being a middling team. 2 playoff wins in 20 years and people are fine doing the same thing we always do.

And sure Conroy is better than Treliving. But he also tried to overpay overrated Lindholm and Hanifin to "stay competitive". I'm not being fooled by some of the changes, our hand was forced. Players said no to us, otherwise we would be in much worse shape yet again. Because of ownership.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Well I’d argue he’s doing not too bad so far with trades; Bahl looks like a solid addition and we will add another 1st round prospect via the other return from that Markstrom trade, 5 pieces for Lindy as well and then turning what was becoming a ‘throw away’ piece in Kuzmenko along with a B Prospect in Pelts into Frost/Farabee I’d say Conroy is showing early on he’s pretty creative when it comes to trades. Im looking forward to his next efforts for sure!

You’re ignoring that he also sent a 2nd round pick to Philly in that trade.

That 2nd round pick is probably the best asset in that trade.

If I were to look at Conroy’s two years as GM, I’d break them down like this:

Year 1 Grade: B
Year 1 Summary: He inherited an absolute mess, and spent the entire year being reactive. He made a number of trades, no stellar returns, but at the end of the day he didn’t sell any stellar players, so it’s fair. Offering Lindholm 8 years at $8.5M and trying to extend Hanifin for as long as he did is worrisome, and had Lindholm accepted that offer this would be a gigantic “F”. The Markstrom trade was his best move.

Year 2 Grade: F
Year 2 Summary: Craig’s silence in free agency was the only good thing he did. After that, he sat on cap space he never utilized, he spent a significant future asset (2nd round pick) in a “now” trade with Philly where the players he acquired came in and underperformed significantly/were not impactful at all. He sat on his hands at the trade deadline, and did not even entertain an offer for Kadri. The team finished 9th in the west, surrendered their own 1st round pick (16th overall) while keeping Florida’s (32nd) because he believes culture is more important than skill, and that being loyal to a roster that is largely comprised of players that won’t be here when (if) this team becomes a contender. Conroy was reactive in Year 1, and should have been proactive in Year 2 but wasn’t.

Year 3 is going to be interesting. The team has zero top-end forwards in the pipeline, and he needs to address that above everything else. Hopefully we see a year or proactive work, with all eyes on the 2026 and 2027 draft.

[PepsiFree]

Perhaps you guys could create a an ongoing thread that becomes home to the endless hand wringing and waxing poetic about Murray Edwards, the “state of the team” (complaining they’re not tanking “properly”), and the “how things should be run” section of armchair GMing, because this ain’t it.

Threads are free. Nothing wrong with wandering off topic, but when you see a list of rumours that don’t involve a player with a NMC and immediately resort to talking about that player and about how he should be traded while totally ignoring the info as to why he isn’t traded so you can have yet another outlet to log the same complaints about management you’ve been logging every two days for two years then maybe it’s time to have a dedicated place for it and save everyone from having to scroll past another 30 posts about it.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Player signed here by choice as a UFA, is outperforming his contract, and states repeatedly that he wants to stay here.

"TRADE HIM RIGHT EFFING NOW!"

If you have a once-in-a-lifetime package like someone offering you a prime Doug Gilmour, then you sit down with Kadri and have a chat.

But posters here really desperate to invoke force majeure on Kadri’s contract handshake so that the flames can get their hands on Colorado’s 27th overall first rounder.

Come on.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

You’re ignoring that he also sent a 2nd round pick to Philly in that trade.

That 2nd round pick is probably the best asset in that trade.

If I were to look at Conroy’s two years as GM, I’d break them down like this:

Year 1 Grade: B
Year 1 Summary: He inherited an absolute mess, and spent the entire year being reactive. He made a number of trades, no stellar returns, but at the end of the day he didn’t sell any stellar players, so it’s fair. Offering Lindholm 8 years at $8.5M and trying to extend Hanifin for as long as he did is worrisome, and had Lindholm accepted that offer this would be a gigantic “F”. The Markstrom trade was his best move.

Year 2 Grade: F
Year 2 Summary: Craig’s silence in free agency was the only good thing he did. After that, he sat on cap space he never utilized, he spent a significant future asset (2nd round pick) in a “now” trade with Philly where the players he acquired came in and underperformed significantly/were not impactful at all. He sat on his hands at the trade deadline, and did not even entertain an offer for Kadri. The team finished 9th in the west, surrendered their own 1st round pick (16th overall) while keeping Florida’s (32nd) because he believes culture is more important than skill, and that being loyal to a roster that is largely comprised of players that won’t be here when (if) this team becomes a contender. Conroy was reactive in Year 1, and should have been proactive in Year 2 but wasn’t.

Year 3 is going to be interesting. The team has zero top-end forwards in the pipeline, and he needs to address that above everything else. Hopefully we see a year or proactive work, with all eyes on the 2026 and 2027 draft.

We could likely recoup that 2nd trading frost but will likely extend him, not a lot of 2nd rounders end up playing anything close to 100 NHL games and we will likely surpass that number with the cumulative totals we get out of Farabee/Frost who are controlled assets that potentially could become a 2nd rounder among other things.

[dammage79]

I'd love a top 3 pick for the Flames more than anyone here. I also have come to accept that the Flames organization simply will not willingly tank or tear a roster down to get one.

Best they could do was draft Monahan at 6th OA post Iggy era and draft Bennett after. That was the best they would allow. And you know what, for almost a decade we sat there living the dream of having two top six centers in the youth on this roster. Then it's got busted up rather unceremoniously after a beat down from that stupid franchise up north.

Nope, Flames will never tank for a top pick. Folks need to come to terms with that. It's better that way

[saillias]

Kadri turns 35 on Oct 6 and starts year 4 of 7 of his contract.

By the time some of you come around to being ok with a trade happening it will be too late

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

That 2nd round pick is probably the best asset in that trade.

“If I were to look at Conroy’s two years as GM, I’d break them down like this:


Year 2 Grade: F
Year 2 Summary: Craig’s silence in free agency was the only good thing he did. After that, he sat on cap space he never utilized, he spent a significant future asset (2nd round pick) in a “now” trade with Philly where the players he acquired came in and underperformed significantly/were not impactful at all. He sat on his hands at the trade deadline, and did not even entertain an offer for Kadri. The team finished 9th in the west, surrendered their own 1st round pick (16th overall) while keeping Florida’s (32nd) because he believes culture is more important than skill, and that being loyal to a roster that is largely comprised of players that won’t be here when (if) this team becomes a contender. Conroy was reactive in Year 1, and should have been proactive in Year 2 but wasn’t.”

Such bad takes. ����

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I just don't see what the point is of keeping Kadri, IF he is willing to waive. I was more posting because it was suggested we never even freaking asked him when we had a boat load offer on the table.

This franchise traded Iggy for scraps. We traded Conn Smythe Bennett for scraps. We lost Gaudreau for nothing and played hard ball the season prior with him and Tkachuk. We traded Tkachuk for a boat anchor contract. We traded Monahan AND a 1st for NOTHING.

All these amazing players we lost for nothing. Yet we are scared to ask an aging player to waive his NTC for a huge return. I don't get it lol.

I agree with losing a lot of those guys for nothing, but let me play devils advocate here.

How do you expect to build a winning culture, an identity and a team that can compete for a cup when you basically show all UFA’s that if you commit here but ultimately are “old” and even though we gave you a NMC to come here because you want stability for your family that we will ultimately tell/ask you to move anyway and disrespect your contract essentially?

You won’t. Plain and simple.
You’ll never attract a big name UFA to the market, you’ll jeopardize your ability to sign your prospects and ultimately destroy your room and team culture simply for a lottery ball and a B prospect?

Doesn’t make sense to me, but I do understand the angst having lost a lot of our guys for nothing, but those weren’t Craig’s decisions for the most part. He made best of what he could for Tkachuk and that was getting Huberdeau off of a record breaking season…

[dustyanddaflames]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Yep, it all comes down to Murray Edwards. He doesn't have the patience for a rebuild and he would be over 70 by the time we were competitive.

Unfortunately, we will never be a contender with him around. And even seeing the reaction here, it seems most fans are fine with us being a middling team. 2 playoff wins in 20 years and people are fine doing the same thing we always do.

And sure Conroy is better than Treliving. But he also tried to overpay overrated Lindholm and Hanifin to "stay competitive". I'm not being fooled by some of the changes, our hand was forced. Players said no to us, otherwise we would be in much worse shape yet again. Because of ownership.

C’mon.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by saillias

Kadri turns 35 on Oct 6 and starts year 4 of 7 of his contract.

By the time some of you come around to being ok with a trade happening it will be too late

It's not about "being ok" with a trade happening. He has a NMC and isn't interested in leaving.

What concerns people with trying to pressure him into waiving it is that it will piss him off, word will get around to other players, and WHEN the Flames are ready to go after big named free agents they will have another strike against them.

[Paulie Walnuts]

lol you guys are acting like they tried to Trouba. No one is saying threaten him with waivers. If Colorado is offering you that package you owe it to the organization to ask him if he wants to win in Colorado a place he didn’t want to leave. This isn’t sending him to Anaheim or go on waivers.

[mile]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1932478422153908332

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

lol you guys are acting like they tried to Trouba. No one is saying threaten him with waivers. If Colorado is offering you that package you owe it to the organization to ask him if he wants to win in Colorado a place he didn’t want to leave. This isn’t sending him to Anaheim or go on waivers.

Not threatening him. Just annoying him when he's made it clear he's not interested in moving.

We don't know what discussions they've had either. He could have made it pretty clear to Conroy he wouldn't waive to go anywhere so other than wanting him to be part of the solution it wouldn't be worth asking him when he already knows the answer.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by mile

https://twitter.com/user/status/1932478422153908332

Utah and Brady Martin

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Not threatening him. Just annoying him when he's made it clear he's not interested in moving.

We don't know what discussions they've had either. He could have made it pretty clear to Conroy he wouldn't waive to go anywhere so other than wanting him to be part of the solution it wouldn't be worth asking him when he already knows the answer.

What’s the point in negotiating or taking offers on him if you have zero plans to trade or him not wanting a trade. He’s not waiving just because we got a big offer.

Moot point now they got a worse player in Nelson.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

What’s the point in negotiating or taking offers on him if you have zero plans to trade or him not wanting a trade. He’s not waiving just because we got a big offer.

Moot point now they got a worse player in Nelson.

Nothing is stopping Colorado or any team from phoning Conroy and asking if Kadri or any other player is available.

I could be mistaking it for another player but I think I remember Royle9 saying it never really got to the point of discussing players but he wondered how much better it could have been than the Nelson offer.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Royle9

I agree with losing a lot of those guys for nothing, but let me play devils advocate here.

How do you expect to build a winning culture, an identity and a team that can compete for a cup when you basically show all UFA’s that if you commit here but ultimately are “old” and even though we gave you a NMC to come here because you want stability for your family that we will ultimately tell/ask you to move anyway and disrespect your contract essentially?

You won’t. Plain and simple.
You’ll never attract a big name UFA to the market, you’ll jeopardize your ability to sign your prospects and ultimately destroy your room and team culture simply for a lottery ball and a B prospect?

Doesn’t make sense to me, but I do understand the angst having lost a lot of our guys for nothing, but those weren’t Craig’s decisions for the most part. He made best of what he could for Tkachuk and that was getting Huberdeau off of a record breaking season…

I would argue building a winning culture really isn't important at this moment. I think the more pressing issue is getting some elite talent that can win you a cup. You can bring in leadership after, or you still have a guy like Backlund as well to help mentor them.

But none of this matters until you get some elite talent at forward. I'm beyond ecstatic with how Parekh and Wolf have developed. But we don't have anyone in our system right now that I see projecting as a 1st line forward. Coronato is close but I still think he's a good 2nd liner.

I'm of the opinion that we need to be losing a lot for a few years for long term success. Short term pain for long term gain.

Plus free agents will want to sign here if we start drafting elite talent. People want to play with Mackinnon. They want to play with McDavid. They want to play with Barkov. The only reason someone is coming to Calgary right now is if we over pay for them. Like we did for Kadri.