2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think you consider trading him when either
- When you have a great deal and specific team to present to him AND if he's expressed openness to a change. And that could come if/when the team has a bad start
- Or when his NTC becomes a modified NTC.

But right now I see it as this.

After ALL the players that engineered leaving here, and wouldn't re-sign. And after ALL the players who won't accept a trade here. You are going to go to a guy who DID sign here, and has said he WANTS to stay and say "no man, we need to trade you because you are hurting our tank. And we will trade you wherever you want to go, for whatever return, because we need those L's!".

I see that as a brutal strategy that will lead to a Buffalo style endless cycle at the bottom.
The idea of trading good players because they are "hurting the tank" is the wrong attitude IMHO.

I am fine risking a big failure tanking. Things do not get much worse than 2 playoff series wins in 20 years.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I am fine risking a big failure tanking. Things do not get much worse than 2 playoff series wins in 20 years.

And this is another one of your favorites. Dragging around the 2 playoff series wins in 20 years, which actually has very little relevance to the here and now, unless you think they are managing things the same way, ignoring all other evidence to the contrary.

Can you accept that they organization is not going to do a tear down tank and move on from it? And are you open to other paths to success?

Again you are the one that has claimed to be open minded, and craving discussion where people engage with you.

Prove it. Demonstrate you can consider other paths. Or not. But then stop playing the victim card with how people engage with you.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I am fine risking a big failure tanking. Things do not get much worse than 2 playoff series wins in 20 years.

Anaheim: Full rebuild, 7 consecutive seasons out of playoffs and counting. One series win in 10 years.
Detroit: Full rebuild, 9 consecutive seasons out of playoffs and counting.
Buffalo: Full rebuild, 14 consecutive seasons out of playoffs and counting.
Arizona: Full rebuild. Only playoff appearance for 12 years was in the Covid year, when they won the qualifying round. Franchise suspended, all assets went to Utah.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Buffalo and Arizona have terrible owners.

Seems like crappy ownership has a trickle down effect that impacts the success of a team.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Anaheim: Full rebuild, 7 consecutive seasons out of playoffs and counting. One series win in 10 years.
Detroit: Full rebuild, 9 consecutive seasons out of playoffs and counting.
Buffalo: Full rebuild, 14 consecutive seasons out of playoffs and counting.
Arizona: Full rebuild. Only playoff appearance for 12 years was in the Covid year, when they won the qualifying round. Franchise suspended, all assets went to Utah.

Detroit hasn't picked top 3, Utah/Arizona hasn't picked top 2, and Anaheim hasn't picked first.

Most of the reason for rebuilding is acquiring the coveted franchise center. Buffalo kind of did, but blew it.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Buffalo and Arizona have terrible owners.

Seems like crappy ownership has a trickle down effect that impacts the success of a team.

Great sign for us then.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Detroit hasn't picked top 3, Utah/Arizona hasn't picked top 2, and Anaheim hasn't picked first.

Most of the reason for rebuilding is acquiring the coveted franchise center. Buffalo kind of did, but blew it.

We could end up like Detroit. Not getting any draft luck and getting higj end talent.

Anaheim picked 2 overall and got Carlson.

[dissentowner]

Christ, this offseason can't end quick enough.

[Finger Cookin]

I feel like we're really, really close to solving this tonight.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Except nowhere does he say this.

Have you ever seen a player talk so openly about rumours of him being traded like this before? I cannot ever remember something like this.

Kadri says, "I think it’s definitely a topic to talk about, and hey, why not talk about it?"

Definitely a topic to talk about? Definitely is a pretty strong word.

Kadri then says, "Obviously, the rumor mill is pretty strong, especially around these parts, and a lot of the time, these rumors can catch fire, and that fire turns into bigger fires.”

Then we have Sec posting a guy lighting a match and then his next post is a guy throwing gasoline all over himself...which would obviously make a bigger fire.

Someone made a big post stating Kadri isn't going anywhere so stop talking about it, not sure if it was you but Kadri is saying some strange stuff here no?

This is what I'm getting from reading between the lines. Perhaps I'm totally wrong I guess time will tell.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Detroit hasn't picked top 3, Utah/Arizona hasn't picked top 2, and Anaheim hasn't picked first.

Most of the reason for rebuilding is acquiring the coveted franchise center. Buffalo kind of did, but blew it.

These conditional reasons why certain examples don’t count are getting so absurd that I can no longer tell when people are being serious.

[traptor]

I'm on team rebuild and I have my questions about the approach they're taking.


Buttt... I do think they're genuinely worried about a Bufdalo situation.


We are just not a hot market. If we slide, we might not be able to come out of that pit.


Even original 6 eqstern teamsfeel like they're having trouble attracting talent once they slide too far.



I also think the NHL expansion has diluted the talent pool a ton. Add on that theres more teams and no need playoff spots. Its tough to climb back from the bottom.




I think its risk averse and really hampers our chances of getting a cup one day, but I get it.

[Bonded]

I feel like the people who are saying Conroy should just tell Kadri he is getting traded in spite of his nmc have never actually negotiated anything in their lives. No is a full sentence and Kadri can use it.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by traptor

I'm on team rebuild and I have my questions about the approach they're taking.

Buttt... I do think they're genuinely worried about a Bufdalo situation.

We are just not a hot market. If we slide, we might not be able to come out of that pit.

Even original 6 eqstern teamsfeel like they're having trouble attracting talent once they slide too far.

I also think the NHL expansion has diluted the talent pool a ton. Add on that theres more teams and no need playoff spots. Its tough to climb back from the bottom.

I think its risk averse and really hampers our chances of getting a cup one day, but I get it.

If Calgary becomes Buffalo they will earn it honestly. The hot market thing solves itself if a team is good. Florida could not attract players for years.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

Have you ever seen a player talk so openly about rumours of him being traded like this before? I cannot ever remember something like this.

Kadri says, "I think it’s definitely a topic to talk about, and hey, why not talk about it?"

Definitely a topic to talk about? Definitely is a pretty strong word.

Kadri then says, "Obviously, the rumor mill is pretty strong, especially around these parts, and a lot of the time, these rumors can catch fire, and that fire turns into bigger fires.”

Then we have Sec posting a guy lighting a match and then his next post is a guy throwing gasoline all over himself...which would obviously make a bigger fire.

Someone made a big post stating Kadri isn't going anywhere so stop talking about it, not sure if it was you but Kadri is saying some strange stuff here no?

This is what I'm getting from reading between the lines. Perhaps I'm totally wrong I guess time will tell.

Just to clarify, Kadri called it “bizarre,” then says the rumour mill is strong around there and things take off (catch fire), to which the host says “and they’re just rumours, but fans take them to a whole new level” and Kadri says “why not, there’s not a whole lot else to talk about.”

He might get traded or he might not, but nothing he says is strange or cryptic.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by traptor

I'm on team rebuild and I have my questions about the approach they're taking.


Buttt... I do think they're genuinely worried about a Bufdalo situation.


We are just not a hot market. If we slide, we might not be able to come out of that pit.


Even original 6 eqstern teamsfeel like they're having trouble attracting talent once they slide too far.



I also think the NHL expansion has diluted the talent pool a ton. Add on that theres more teams and no need playoff spots. Its tough to climb back from the bottom.




I think its risk averse and really hampers our chances of getting a cup one day, but I get it.

Florida wasn’t a hot market until they started winning.

Winning will attract players and keep them.

[Niemo]

Why can't we just accept that changing our strategy that has led to 2 playoff series wins in 20 years by bottoming out is acceptable and not attack all who suggest it? Rhett can't be the only one who thinks the Sharks and Mammoth are in more enviable positions than the Flames.

Perhaps Conroy and his team don't agree, but I don't understand the culture of mediocrity that we are building.

[dammage79]

Again, he was talking about the rumors that were out there were coming from Toronto and the circus that is that media and fanbase.

Honestly it's not a shock after watching Sam Bennet win the Conn Smythe that they'd want someone of that ilk on their team. And let's not forget that before Bennett signed his new deal all T.O media was doing was spinning up the Bennett to Toronto rumors while almost everywhere else was pouring cold water on that.

although I will say this about the..."Kadri Situation", he was the only player not to give a garbage bag day interview and we haven't heard from him until today. I'd read more into that than anything else. But that's just me.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Niemo

Why can't we just accept that changing our strategy that has led to 2 playoff series wins in 20 years by bottoming out is acceptable and not attack all who suggest it? Rhett can't be the only one who thinks the Sharks and Mammoth are in more enviable positions than the Flames.

Because it doesn't mean diddly crap what we want. The mandate is to retool and try and compete for a playoff spot. Might as well talk about obtaining Makar and MacKinnon in a trade, just as realistic as a tank job.

[Niemo]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Because it doesn't mean diddly crap what we want. The mandate is to retool and try and compete for a playoff spot. Might as well talk about obtaining Makar and MacKinnon in a trade, just as realistic as a tank job.

Yes. I agree with this too. It doesn't matter what we want. I just don't see the need to attack those on team tank vs team maintain.