2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Sandman]

Paulie is right, you need strength down the middle to win in the playoffs- why do you all think Minny is shopping their second-leading scorer? Nobody is saying that you need Lindros-sized centers, and Bennett is 6'1",195lbs- that ain't small.

I have no idea why people fall in love with small players so often.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Royle9

I love how we keep pandering for that #1 Center whos 6'4 and built like Lindros to take us to the cup final in 2028.

Its 2025, we haven't seen a top line #1 center in 2 decades.
We kinda/sorta had a good one in Monahan who then got hurt, real bad, many times we shipped out for spare parts.
We drafted Bennett who was "maybe" going to be a 1a/1b but he wasn't a BIG center either and we also traded him for 6 cents on the dollar.

And yet we keep circling back to "WE NEED A HUGE #1 center" over and over and over again, wheras these guys just don't exist and certainly nobody trades you one.

We're not bad enough to suck our way to a top 3 pick, let alone the #1 pick where most of those guys are drafted. Do we just continue to suck and pray/hope we get a #1 O/A pick here soon?

I'm baffled at some of these responses.

Lindros? C'mon, man! We need someone bigger than Chara with the skills of Mario and the meanness of Messier. Conroy should have drafted at least 3 of them by now.

[agulati]

Has Sec made his post yet?

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Paulie is right, you need strength down the middle to win in the playoffs

and yet, Rossi gave them important goals in back to back games in round 1 this year, only for Hynes to further eat into his ice time for no reason. I agree that size is important, but to me, it's always been a secondary aspect. It's a nice thing to have, but a bad thing to prioritize.

I've followed Rossi's career path closely. I pretty much agree with Jiri's assessment, I think he's probably a very good #2 but might have the potential to be a bit more. His development is pretty solid so far, going from 40 to 60 points in his first two full NHL seasons. I don't know what his ceiling is, but I think #2 is a pretty decent floor. Sure, you'd still be looking for a clear #1, but the Flames don't have a young center like Rossi right now either.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Paulie is right, you need strength down the middle to win in the playoffs- why do you all think Minny is shopping their second-leading scorer? Nobody is saying that you need Lindros-sized centers, and Bennett is 6'1",195lbs- that ain't small.

I have no idea why people fall in love with small players so often.

Bennett is also has gritty as they come.

You can be a bit smaller on the wings but you need a size. The Flames are really tipping the scales on the small size.

Pittsburgh won because they have one of the greatest of all time in Crosby,

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Paulie is right, you need strength down the middle to win in the playoffs- why do you all think Minny is shopping their second-leading scorer? Nobody is saying that you need Lindros-sized centers, and Bennett is 6'1",195lbs- that ain't small.

I have no idea why people fall in love with small players so often.

They cant get a deal done, they don't way to commit the $ or the term.
I think if they could afford to they would, but they've got a superstar in Kaprizov who's about to make 14M+ a season.

I wouldn't call 6'1 "big" myself, when people say "HUGE" centers I'm assuming they mean 6'4 at a minimum.

The last time we saw one available was Cozen's and I'd argue he's definitely bigger but I wouldn't say he's a more skilled player than Rossi. Rossi is quite young too, I think there's a lot more to give on a team who can give him more minutes and responsibilities.

Now with all of this said, like Jiri pointed out you have to consider the acquisition cost as well. I certainly wouldn't trade the farm for him, but simply put he makes the Flames significantly better today if they acquired him for minimal cost.

The Flames need more 60+ pt guys, a lot more.

[Toonage]

Not like the Flames are flush with skilled goal scorers. Can this guy put he puck in the net and play C? Great. He fills 2 needs for the Flames.

[aaronkarlpatton]

Originally Posted by agulati

Has Sec made his post yet?

Not yet

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[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Paulie is right, you need strength down the middle to win in the playoffs- why do you all think Minny is shopping their second-leading scorer? Nobody is saying that you need Lindros-sized centers, and Bennett is 6'1",195lbs- that ain't small.

I have no idea why people fall in love with small players so often.

How many arguments do you see on here on whether a player is a winger or a center. Does it hurt us to pick up Rossi, play him at center and maybe move him to the wing if he does not turn into a top end center?

This kid is a machine, he is right there for 4th heaviest player on the Flames. He's Bennett's weight. Low center of gravity and elite strength equals board battle wins IMO. Add the skill and he can compete in the playoffs, just needs time as he is still young.

Didn't he also have a long Covid issue and set him back a bit especially someone who is a machine in the gym.

Never hurts to have a couple centers on the wing when we are ready to win. Helps with chemistry and lines when you can mix it up with extra centers.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Paulie is right, you need strength down the middle to win in the playoffs- why do you all think Minny is shopping their second-leading scorer? Nobody is saying that you need Lindros-sized centers, and Bennett is 6'1",195lbs- that ain't small.

I have no idea why people fall in love with small players so often.

Aren't Crosby, and Point, 5'11"?

The next wave also has Bedard at 5'10", and Celebrini at 6'0".

I just have a hard time narrowing down winning in the playoffs to one attribute. Would Rossi have a role on the Flames, and would he be a positive contributor in that role? I think he would, but I am just as curious to see Zary and Frost in a similar role.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

Didn't he also have a long Covid issue and set him back a bit especially someone who is a machine in the gym.

myocarditis. Couldn't do stuff for months, and doctors were initially not sure whether he could return to hockey. Mentally draining too ... in interviews with Austrian media he said he was scared to go to sleep because he feared his heart would stop.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Aren't Crosby, and Point, 5'11"?

The next wave also has Bedard at 5'10", and Celebrini at 6'0".

I just have a hard time narrowing down winning in the playoffs to one attribute. Would Rossi have a role on the Flames, and would he be a positive contributor in that role? I think he would, but I am just as curious to see Zary and Frost in a similar role.

He was so important in the playoff that he was demoted to the 4th line.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

He was so important in the playoff that he was demoted to the 4th line.

Tkachuk was awful in the playoffs to for us, has he done anything since we traded him?

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

He was so important in the playoff that he was demoted to the 4th line.

Sure, that's a fair point. It's a red flag for sure, and he was rather lackluster in the plaoffs this year. That said, for the longest time Tkachuk seemed like a playoff dud as well. He had what 5 points in his first 3 series with the Flames(15GP)?

Coaches also do weird things in the playoffs when the pressure is on. DeBoer and Oettinger come to mind.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I have no idea why people fall in love with small players so often.

Probably because the second best player this franchise has seen was 5'8" and our MVP from last season was the smallest goaltender in the league.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Aren't Crosby, and Point, 5'11"?

The next wave also has Bedard at 5'10", and Celebrini at 6'0".

I just have a hard time narrowing down winning in the playoffs to one attribute. Would Rossi have a role on the Flames, and would he be a positive contributor in that role? I think he would, but I am just as curious to see Zary and Frost in a similar role.

I suggest trading Zary and the same posters say no way.

6 feet but he weighs in at 179. I get that reach is an asset, but what is the wingspan of each player? What does the 3 inches do for a player otherwise. A smaller player with low center of gravity and a guy that can deadlift 500 ish probably wins battles against big D more than a 6 foot center that is 179 lbs

I can tell you right now, Rossi could take Zary along the boards more times than not. But the thought of moving Kadri and Ras for Rossi and Byram is a bad idea to some is laughable.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Royle9

I love how we keep pandering for that #1 Center whos 6'4 and built like Lindros to take us to the cup final in 2028.

Its 2025, we haven't seen a top line #1 center in 2 decades.
We kinda/sorta had a good one in Monahan who then got hurt, real bad, many times we shipped out for spare parts.
We drafted Bennett who was "maybe" going to be a 1a/1b but he wasn't a BIG center either and we also traded him for 6 cents on the dollar.

And yet we keep circling back to "WE NEED A HUGE #1 center" over and over and over again, wheras these guys just don't exist and certainly nobody trades you one.

We're not bad enough to suck our way to a top 3 pick, let alone the #1 pick where most of those guys are drafted. Do we just continue to suck and pray/hope we get a #1 O/A pick here soon?

I'm baffled at some of these responses.

To clarify my perspective, we don’t need Lindros although it would be nice. How about a Getzlaf, Kopitar, Matthew’s, or Thornton? Average, or above, would probably do. Bergeron, MacKinnon also fine. Niether are 5’9” though.

If the Flames want to compete for a cup and have a 5’9” C, he better be elite. I’m skeptical Rossi is that guy.

[devo22]

to give context, it was Rossis first career playoffs series and he definitely struggled in game 1. Got demoted, but improved and scored in back-to-back games. His line with Trenin and Brazeau was actually pretty good for them. It was baffling from Hynes to not give him more ice time.

After that series, I hope he's traded and gets away from Hynes. If it's to Calgary, it's a bonus for me.

[Caboose]

I'll never, ever understand the obsession over one or two inches of height in hockey. 5'10 is short but 6' is tall? Huh? I honestly think that anywhere between 5'10" and 6'2" is basically all the same, and above or below those heights is where it could start to impact board battles and positioning.

Having a Kevin Bahl or an Adam Klapka is nice to bring a little intimidation, but teeny tiny Ryan Lomberg coming at me would scare me just as much as those two, and he seemed mighty effective on the fire check last season to boot.



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[MacDaddy77]

The hope would be that you get Rossi, re-sign him and in 3 years he's your 2nd line centre with Zary/Frost as the 3rd line Centre and have drafted (or traded surplus picks/other areas of strength) a true #1 C by that time.