2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[stemit14]

There’s a decent chance that Andersson has no desire to sign an extension with anyone right now after the season he just had. He might not want to commit to any team until he has had a bounce back season and maximizes his value - and he can also have a better picture of where teams are at going forward. There are a lot of teams in transition right now.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Nelson

If the current price is leading to a very limited market because of Andersson’s limited list of teams with which he’ll extend, Conroy’s play is probably just to tell teams to send him their best offers without an extension. In this way, he can almost create two markets, one smaller and based on an extension, one larger and based on no extension.

He has most likely already done this - at least internally. He would have a set of offers from teams where signing is not an option, and is working on offers from teams where signing IS an option.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I was reacting to him saying Andresson doesn't want to play in LA and has trade protection - which implies LA could actually be on the NTC list?

That is how I read it. Interesting if so.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by stemit14

There’s a decent chance that Andersson has no desire to sign an extension with anyone right now after the season he just had. He might not want to commit to any team until he has had a bounce back season and maximizes his value - and he can also have a better picture of where teams are at going forward. There are a lot of teams in transition right now.

If that's the case, and it could be, I can't see any reason why he wouldnt just tell the Flames that.

I don't see a benefit to him playing coy and making it harder for Conroy

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It's great that you loved it. And there is a lot to love, with many beautiful areas, fantastic weather, etc.

But there is also a reason that CAL has net negative migration now. And it is understandable that some people wouldn't be interested.

The shock that a guy like Andersson wouldn't want to live/raise his kids in LA is weird to me. Malmo, where Andersson was raised, is an incredibly people friendly, walkable city with a ton of parks and people spaces within a short transit trip or walk.

Interestingly enough, it's also denser than LA per KM2, as it's built more compactly, designed around people and parks rather than cars, which creates a ton of easy access to restaurants, services, entertainment and outdoor recreation.

LA feels denser because of all the traffic and the sprawling development pattern. It's also a city that's probably least like his hometown than anywhere else in North America because of how poorly developed it is.

Swedes are pretty conscious of good urbanism and public transit -- William Nylander rides the subway to games for example -- so I can see why a place like LA wouldn't appeal to him.

Now back to your regular arguing.

[Wolven]

I find it weird how almost everyone thinks the issue with Andersson and the Kings is about location and not about the team....

Ask yourselves, in your amateur assessment, is the Kings getting closer to cup contention or further away?

I think the Kings are becoming less and less of a cup contender as their star players are aging out and they do not have enough in the pipeline to rfully replace them.

[Mr.Coffee]

I actually kind of find it refreshing that LA was a team that got snubbed for once.

After the draft I’m kinda leaning towards just let’s go into the season with Andersson and see how he does. Maybe keeping him isn’t the worst thing. Presumably the trades weren’t there to make, a bit disappointing but suspect teams saw that last half the season and thought to themselves to second guess decisions.

In a contract year Andersson is going to have pressure to perform. He’ll be better so could help Calgary make a playoff push which so far looks like it’ll be a bubble team again.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

He has most likely already done this - at least internally. He would have a set of offers from teams where signing is not an option, and is working on offers from teams where signing IS an option.

Let’s hope so. Although reporters have been talking about the price, as if it’s uniform. But that doesn’t really matter. Conroy just needs to escape the trap of a limited market by having two markets.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I find it weird how almost everyone thinks the issue with Andersson and the Kings is about location and not about the team....

Ask yourselves, in your amateur assessment, is the Kings getting closer to cup contention or further away?

I think the Kings are becoming less and less of a cup contender as their star players are aging out and they do not have enough in the pipeline to rfully replace them.

Agreed. That team is still heavily reliant on Kopitar and Doughty. They have some young players getting a little better each year but when Doughty and Kopitar are done, that team will likely take a step back until more star players join the team.

[kyuss275]

Any rumours in what’s going on with ekblad situation?

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by stemit14

There’s a decent chance that Andersson has no desire to sign an extension with anyone right now after the season he just had. He might not want to commit to any team until he has had a bounce back season and maximizes his value - and he can also have a better picture of where teams are at going forward. There are a lot of teams in transition right now.

I think that’s a pretty good assumption. He acknowledged publicly that he had a down year and this one is a big one for him.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I find it weird how almost everyone thinks the issue with Andersson and the Kings is about location and not about the team....

Ask yourselves, in your amateur assessment, is the Kings getting closer to cup contention or further away?

I think the Kings are becoming less and less of a cup contender as their star players are aging out and they do not have enough in the pipeline to rfully replace them.

It's not that everyone thinks that, it's simply that sometimes someone makes a comment that is controvertible, and it starts a side discussion.

First, it's just a rumour, and worded somewhat eclectically, and second (even if true), there are all kinds of reasons why he might have said no. As someone else posted, maybe he simply doesn't want to sign because after last season, he isn't seeing the numbers he is hoping for.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Let’s hope so. Although reporters have been talking about the price, as if it’s uniform. But that doesn’t really matter. Conroy just needs to escape the trap of a limited market by having two markets.

Reporters are throwing out snippets.

Conroy is doing this full time. He and his team will have detailed charts of every offer, with their pros and cons, values of each piece, etc.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Great minds think alike?

Sorry, totally missed your post, but yes!

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Calgary Highlander

Why can't Andersson commute by helicopter to bypass traffic?

Umm….. that doesn’t always work out well.

We lived in SoCal for a few years and it had its pluses and minuses. And I sure wasn’t making Rasmus Andersson money.

The weather and outdoor lifestyle is impossible to beat, best in the world IMO. With the sunshine, warmth and low humidity it felt like we lived outside. Ready access to mountains and the beach.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

People are complicated and make choices due to a variety of reasons. Dobson picked a higher tax country over a lower tax one.

If Rasmus doesn't want to live in California or LA, we don't have to make assumptions as to his/their personal reasons why. It's never been as simple as sun and taxes.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by stemit14

There’s a decent chance that Andersson has no desire to sign an extension with anyone right now after the season he just had. He might not want to commit to any team until he has had a bounce back season and maximizes his value - and he can also have a better picture of where teams are at going forward. There are a lot of teams in transition right now.

I think there is an almost zero chance he wants to risk an 8 year extension to end up with only a 6 year contract under the new CBA. Losing 2 years in his mid 30s would be a huge hit to his career earnings and change his AAV needs dramatically to end up with the same career earnings.

$7M x 8 years = $56M
$9M x 6 years = $54M

$8M x 8 years = $64M
$10.66 x 6 years = $64M

If he takes a 6 year deal there is a good chance he gets another contract offer after but from a risk perspective you have to assume that might not happen and best case scenario may only be another $3M AAV for a few years.

Also, Andersson proved he can play a bigger role on a gutted team and he is already positioned as the best RD available this year and next year (assuming Ekblad is off the market). He literally has nothing he needs to do to make himself look better compared to the other available RD and going back to the Flames to play the exact same role with Bahl is unlikely to do anything to improve his stats anyway.

[Lewis_D]

Why would the Flames trade Andersson for a whopper? It's gotta be a meal combo at the very least.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I think there is an almost zero chance he wants to risk an 8 year extension to end up with only a 6 year contract under the new CBA. Losing 2 years in his mid 30s would be a huge hit to his career earnings and change his AAV needs dramatically to end up with the same career earnings.

$7M x 8 years = $56M
$9M x 6 years = $54M

$8M x 8 years = $64M
$10.66 x 6 years = $64M

If he takes a 6 year deal there is a good chance he gets another contract offer after but from a risk perspective you have to assume that might not happen and best case scenario may only be another $3M AAV for a few years.

Also, Andersson proved he can play a bigger role on a gutted team and he is already positioned as the best RD available this year and next year (assuming Ekblad is off the market). He literally has nothing he needs to do to make himself look better compared to the other available RD and going back to the Flames to play the exact same role with Bahl is unlikely to do anything to improve his stats anyway.

That is a good point. Didn’t really consider the CBA change that’s coming. It could motivate players to sign their extensions this year instead of testing free agency - provided the extension AAVs are competitive to market value.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by Lewis_D

Why would the Flames trade Andersson for a whopper? It's gotta be a meal combo at the very least.

They only get a combo if there's an extension in place.