2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I would play Zary as winger as well. I feel like he has a lot of potential there. Not a huge fan of him as a center when he did play.

That was my feeling as well. He seems to create more on the wing. I think there is more bang for your buck playing him on the wing. As a center, I don't think he is ideal in the top 6 on most teams.

[united]

Originally Posted by JTech780

Wing, Zary isn't a good enough skater to play C full time.

Foot speed is only one variable as everyone would agree. None of the below are quick and yet they all do just fine playing in the middle. Zary is a highly intelligent player, in my opinion, and can overcome his speed limitations.

Auston Matthews, Claude Giroux, Anze Kopitar, Phil Danaualt, Elias Lindholm, Tomas Hertl, Sean Couturier, Dylan Strome, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan O'Reilly, Nazem Kadri, Anton Lundell, Joel Eriksson-Ek, Elias Pettersson, Sean Monahan, Mark Scheifele, John Tavares.


On the other hand, the league is full of burners who grew up playing C but converted to wing going pro because they don't think the game well enough.

[FBI]

Originally Posted by JTech780

So Backlund, who averaged the 3rd most ice time amongst forwards last year is now a 4th line center? That’s not happening. Kadri, Backlund and Frost are locks as top 9 centers. So if Zary wants to play center he will end up being the 4th line center playing around 10 mins a night. That’s not happening either so he will play wing where he is best suited.

Don't ya know Backlund aged like 5 years this summer..

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I still ain’t buying it. Perhaps his injuries dragged his numbers down this season, but he’s above average in the speed department, IMO.

Furthermore, I thought he was starting to look more and more solid when given looks at C, but there’s no room for him there unless the injury bug strikes.

Yeah I feel like those stats (like most..) don't tell the whole story.

Is it measuring speed with the puck vs speed without the puck?

Straight line speed vs agility?

I feel like Zary is fast with the puck and agile. I feel like I remember him being very good at sharp cuts to maintain posetion and driving the net with the puck.

Even if he's not the fastest straight away skater, he plays the game quick and is agile.

[Knut]

Zary also plays more of an East-West game. More lateral movements than burning up the side boards driving the net. High hockey IQ on him.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He's 25. I realize that's probably on the edge of a range they should be looking at, but I fear fans have become so age obsessed that we now see a guy who is 25 as being too old to acquire.

You'd be getting most of his peak career years.

We are probably 4+ years away from being competitive. Look at the kids having an impact on the team. They are all at least four years post draft. Most of our best prospects were drafted 24, 25, or (we hope) 26. Its going to take time.

Robertson will be approaching 30 when we hopefully are ready to compete for a cup. Which is still productive. But your paying a huge premium for a player to help you right now.

All your doing is delaying things by acquiring Robertson. Directly by what you spend to acquire him. Indirectly by keeping you wedged in the murky middle.

If your not in a position to compete for a cup in the near future then you have no business giving up major assets for a player in his prime. Your paying for wasted years.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by kehatch

We are probably 4+ years away from being competitive. Look at the kids having an impact on the team. They are all at least four years post draft. Most of our best prospects were drafted 24, 25, or (we hope) 26. Its going to take time.

Robertson will be approaching 30 when we hopefully are ready to compete for a cup. Which is still productive. But your paying a huge premium for a player to help you right now.

All your doing is delaying things by acquiring Robertson. Directly by what you spend to acquire him. Indirectly by keeping you wedged in the murky middle.

If your not in a position to compete for a cup in the near future then you have no business giving up major assets for a player in his prime. Your paying for wasted years.

it depends on the acquisition cost.
If you can swap Rasmus for Robertson then you get a better and younger player.
That's a win.

I doubt that deal is on the table. But that was my premise.
All comes down to acquisition cost.

[Ba'alzamon]

Hey, I'm just pushing back on the notion that there aren't issues with Zary's skating. They remain. Specifically with his speed. He's quite agile, though.

And also: teams have four centers. The Flames have three. There's room.

Huberdeau - Kadri - Klapka
Farabee - Frost - Coronato
Sharangovich - Zary - Pospisil
Honzek(?) - Backlund - Coleman

[Bingo]

There is room if Backlund lost it over the off season, or one of the other three have exceeded his shutdown ability.

[Groot]

With Backlund in the twilight of his career, would there be a chance to move him to Zary's wing, giving Zary an on-ice mentor. Backlund can work with him based on what he's seeing shift to shift, and he's there to pick up the slack for any miscues while Zary gets up to speed at the C position over a season. Just a thought but we have to transition away from Backlund eventually, allowing him to a mentor a young C on the way isn't the worst thing.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Groot

With Backlund in the twilight of his career, would there be a chance to move him to Zary's wing, giving Zary an on-ice mentor. Backlund can work with him based on what he's seeing shift to shift, and he's there to pick up the slack for any miscues while Zary gets up to speed at the C position over a season. Just a thought but we have to transition away from Backlund eventually, allowing him to a mentor a young C on the way isn't the worst thing.

I'd be in favour, but the last time they tried Backlund on the wing, he stunk. It's a difficult problem.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Bingo

There is room if Backlund lost it over the off season, or one of the other three have exceeded his shutdown ability.

Honestly I thought Backlund took a pretty big step back defensively last year. I think Frost is a better two way C now personally. I could live with Kadri, Zary, Frost, Backlund down the middle myself but Huska won't. Can't wait to see Backlund on PP 2 again....good Lord.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I still ain’t buying it. Perhaps his injuries dragged his numbers down this season, but he’s above average in the speed department, IMO.

Furthermore, I thought he was starting to look more and more solid when given looks at C, but there’s no room for him there unless the injury bug strikes.

The year before he was below average as far as top speed and speed bursts. He gets around well enough, but according to NHL Edge he is below average as far as skating speed goes. With his shiftiness if he was just a step faster he would probably have avoided some of the injuries the last two seasons.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Honestly I thought Backlund took a pretty big step back defensively last year. I think Frost is a better two way C now personally. I could live with Kadri, Zary, Frost, Backlund down the middle myself but Huska won't. Can't wait to see Backlund on PP 2 again....good Lord.

If he went with more of a balanced 4th line that got a little more ice time I think it's possible.

Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Farabee - Frost - Sharangovich
Coleman - Zary - Klapka
Honzek - Backlund - Pospisil
Lomberg

I love Lomberg but he doesn't need to play every night, and having him in your lineup actually means your 4th line probably has to play a smaller role compared to it being more of a mentoring ground for younger players.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Honestly I thought Backlund took a pretty big step back defensively last year. I think Frost is a better two way C now personally. I could live with Kadri, Zary, Frost, Backlund down the middle myself but Huska won't. Can't wait to see Backlund on PP 2 again....good Lord.

Backlund was still the best center as far as possession numbers go by a wide margin. Kadri and Frost were given the sweet zone starts, starting in the offensive zone 61.4% and 57.5% of the time. Backlund on the other hand started in the offensive zone only 38.2%, but still spent more time in the offensive zone than in the defensive zone. He is also still one of the best skaters on the team.

I do think that they have to start lowering his ice time, but he is still so reliable that as a coach it's hard to not keep throwing him out there.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

If he went with more of a balanced 4th line that got a little more ice time I think it's possible.

Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Farabee - Frost - Sharangovich
Coleman - Zary - Klapka
Honzek - Backlund - Pospisil
Lomberg

I love Lomberg but he doesn't need to play every night, and having him in your lineup actually means your 4th line probably has to play a smaller role compared to it being more of a mentoring ground for younger players.

Most teams only role out their 4th line 10 or less minutes a night. Kadri and Backlund are still going to be the most used centers this coming season, so Backlund on the 4th line isn't happening.

The choice is going to be between Frost and Zary to center the 3rd line, and frost is going to win that job. If Zary is playing center it's because there was an injury or on the 4th line, because he is the 4th best center on the team.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Ba'alzamon

Not according to NHL edge he isn't. He has solid burst counts in the 18mph-20mph range, but his top speed is relatively low (and had just one burst over 22mph, with a below-average count in the 20-22 mph range).

Top speed is overrated. Burst speed and agility are important. A lot of offensive players don't have high end top speed. Gaudreau was one. Fir centres, Matthews, Scheifele and Crosby don't have elite speed. They have OK speed combined with high IQ and stick.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by JTech780

Most teams only role out their 4th line 10 or less minutes a night. Kadri and Backlund are still going to be the most used centers this coming season, so Backlund on the 4th line isn't happening.

The choice is going to be between Frost and Zary to center the 3rd line, and frost is going to win that job. If Zary is playing center it's because there was an injury or on the 4th line, because he is the 4th best center on the team.

That's the traditional usage and most likely what happens. But I honestly don't see a traditional 1-4 line on this team.

Teams play about 48-50 minutes at 5v5 in the average game.

I'd have no issue with coaching staff telling the 4 lines - you all get 10 minutes a night, and those last 8-10 minutes will be determined by what line, and what players are going the best on that given night.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Farabee - Frost - Sharangovich
Coleman - Zary - Klapka
Honzek - Backlund - Pospisil
Lomberg

Of the young forwards with a shot to make the jump this year, Honz isn't on my list. I think he's going to settle into tweener territory, get some call-ups but not make enough of an impact to look like future top6. Would love to be proven wrong.

I think we mostly see:

Huberdeau - Kadri - Coronato
Farabee - Frost - Sharangovich
Coleman - Backlund - Zary
Lomberg/Klapka - Kirkland/Kerins - Pospisil

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Suniev or Battaglia get a shot out of camp.

Back on topic for the thread... Obviously trading Kadri, Farabee, Coleman & Backlund would go a long way to freeing up icetime for some of the youth, if they're ready for it. But I don't think we see that until the deadline or even next summer, when more of the recent picks are pushing for spots.

[868904]

Originally Posted by traptor

I don't get the point the author is trying to make.

Kypreos was just saying that Kadri would be open to going there, not that the Habs were actively pursuing him.

Murphy sounds like a Habs fan still butt hurt from 89.