2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Yes, I believe this too. Murray Edwards would never allow a rebuild. And thus we started a retool around nothing other than a great young goaltender.

We got lucky with Parekh, but really we do not have enough to retool around at the moment. We still need a top center prospect and a winger.

Which is exactly why I don't believe we will ever be a contender. We are essentially retooling around a couple good young players, and a bunch of old players who will be retired or regressing rapidly in a few years. We need to get more players at the top of the draft and trade these old guys who are keeping us in the murky middle.

Man we get it, you wish the flames would commit to a full on tankathon and blow up the remaining core (let’s not focus on the fact that Conroy has dismantled a large portion already, and for a significant haul of futures) but alas the Flames are doomed, like your posts, to the purgatory of being in the mushy middle.

Yet you remarkably discount the incredible job the scouting staff, lead by GM CC, have done especially the past two years adding in 18 prospects to the pool including 4 more first round choices, all of which have a swing for the fences feel to them. But of course anything the flames do right in your eyes is them ‘getting lucky’ despite themselves which is a laughable take at this point. If you’re frustrated about the direction of this team it’s for the reason of being contrary IMO, it’s hard not to like and appreciate where this team is headed and it’s honestly a lot closer to the tear down model you yearn for versus the mushy middle you’re lamenting about. They flames got incredible performances from youth players last year in Wolf, Coronato, Zary, Pospisil and Klapka and if you’ve been at all participating in the CP prospects poll I think you’d realize that there seems to be a steady stream building there.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

We are essentially retooling around a couple good young players, and a bunch of old players who will be retired or regressing rapidly in a few years. We need to get more players at the top of the draft and trade these old guys who are keeping us in the murky middle.

If that's what you're worried about, then cool it. Once those old players are retired or regressing, if we really have as little in the pipeline as you think, even mediocrity will be well out of reach and the team will have to rebuild from scratch.

By the way, if any one player was keeping the Flames in ‘the murky middle’ last season, it was Wolf. Is he one of ‘these old guys’ that you want to trade?

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Man we get it, you wish the flames would commit to a full on tankathon and blow up the remaining core (let’s not focus on the fact that Conroy has dismantled a large portion already, and for a significant haul of futures) but alas the Flames are doomed, like your posts, to the purgatory of being in the mushy middle.

Yet you remarkably discount the incredible job the scouting staff, lead by GM CC, have done especially the past two years adding in 18 prospects to the pool including 4 more first round choices, all of which have a swing for the fences feel to them. But of course anything the flames do right in your eyes is them ‘getting lucky’ despite themselves which is a laughable take at this point. If you’re frustrated about the direction of this team it’s for the reason of being contrary IMO, it’s hard not to like and appreciate where this team is headed and it’s honestly a lot closer to the tear down model you yearn for versus the mushy middle you’re lamenting about. They flames got incredible performances from youth players last year in Wolf, Coronato, Zary, Pospisil and Klapka and if you’ve been at all participating in the CP prospects poll I think you’d realize that there seems to be a steady stream building there.

Klapka played well but he likely projects as a 3rd to 4th liner. Pospisil I believe is ideally a 3rd liner. Zary and Coronato had solid years, but I still see 2nd liner being the most likely position long term for both.

So yes, we did get some great performances from rookies. But we still do not have any prospects that project as a 1st liner at forward. That is a significant problem with a retool, we have nothing to retool around. We do not have a 1st liner on the roster.

Wolf is incredible and I think one of the top goalies in the league if he keeps it up. But goalies can only do so much. Carey Price was the closest one recently to carrying his team to the cup, but even he couldn't do it. And goalies are extremely volatile as we see with Hellebuyck in the playoffs.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I still think Coleman's value is more at a trade deadline and not the off-season. He's the perfect guy teams want to add for a run.

Oh 100%. If Coleman can put himself on a 20 goal pace, plus his playoff pedigree, plus 50% retention, a playoff team would be getting him for next to nothing on their cap with the pro rated amount.

I could see getting a 2nd and 3rd or something like that, which would be awesome.

*I did think this was his last year, he has one more. But still a team going for it could still see the value and easily dump his contract in the summer if they're too tight for the next season.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Klapka played well but he likely projects as a 3rd to 4th liner. Pospisil I believe is ideally a 3rd liner. Zary and Coronato had solid years, but I still see 2nd liner being the most likely position long term for both.

So yes, we did get some great performances from rookies. But we still do not have any prospects that project as a 1st liner at forward. That is a significant problem with a retool, we have nothing to retool around. We do not have a 1st liner on the roster.

Wolf is incredible and I think one of the top goalies in the league if he keeps it up. But goalies can only do so much. Carey Price was the closest one recently to carrying his team to the cup, but even he couldn't do it. And goalies are extremely volatile as we see with Hellebuyck in the playoffs.

You keep doing this thing where you project as if you know what our prospect pool will produce 3 to 5 years from now. You also discount the fact that we are still smack dab in the middle of said rebuild in which we still have a good amount of capital to move that requires no rush to move them (Kadri, Coleman, Weegar, etc.) that will only add to the already deep only getting deeper prospect pool. Add to that fact that there has been recent examples of teams trading for significant pieces for their runs Florida being the absolute best example of this. There is literally no reason to keep complaining about our prospect pool, one in which every single player drafted in 24 by the flames took good to significant strides in development. Like come on man, let it go for a minute. It’s funny too because if Parekh and Wolf playing to how they’re projecting that is two HUGE pieces/ingredients needed for a championship contending team and they are light years from their primes and should help you realize the sky really is the limit with this club and how GM CC is currently handling himself gives me full confidence that’s the direction the Flames are taking.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

You keep doing this thing where you project as if you know what our prospect pool will produce 3 to 5 years from now. You also discount the fact that we are still smack dab in the middle of said rebuild in which we still have a good amount of capital to move that requires no rush to move them (Kadri, Coleman, Weegar, etc.) that will only add to the already deep only getting deeper prospect pool. Add to that fact that there has been recent examples of teams trading for significant pieces for their runs Florida being the absolute best example of this. There is literally no reason to keep complaining about our prospect pool, one in which every single player drafted in 24 by the flames took good to significant strides in development. Like come on man, let it go for a minute. It’s funny too because if Parekh and Wolf playing to how they’re projecting that is two HUGE pieces/ingredients needed for a championship contending team and they are light years from their primes and should help you realize the sky really is the limit with this club and how GM CC is currently handling himself gives me full confidence that’s the direction the Flames are taking.

The Panthers drafted Barkov, Ekblad and Huberdeau at the top of the draft (who they traded for Tkachuk).

Barkov is elite. Tkachuk is elite. We don't have those pieces at forward right now. The situation is not remotely similar. People want the rebuild over before it even properly begins.

[Heavy Jack]

You’re speaking in absolutes, unfortunately you have to let the full tenure/rebuild play out before you can truly criticize the direction. You’re being purposefully obtuse to the fact that the Flames have taken significant steps, more than at any other time in the history of the franchise, to rebuild the right way through the draft. The flames have loads of trade chips left and about 3 more drafts to see come and go before you could fairly begin to attack the direction and trajectory of this rebuild. There is just way too many unknowns for you to be so vehemently agitated by the current direction. If Conroy had gone out and blown a bunch of cap on UFAs maybe I’d see where you’re coming from but he hasn’t and continues to speak toward building out through the draft and getting younger. I don’t think a single person here is advocating to ‘end the rebuild’ before it even properly begins yet you’re actively lamenting about the rebuild before it even properly begins lol.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I thought you were putting me on ignore? Go figure it is you who is first to attack anyone's opinion who differs from you.

The group think on this site is crazy.

Knock it off.

You basically painted x% of the website with one brush, and inaccurately and he pointed it out.

It's not attacking an opinion that's different. It's pushing back against a dishonest summary.

Group think is even lazier of a comment.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

If that's what you're worried about, then cool it. Once those old players are retired or regressing, if we really have as little in the pipeline as you think, even mediocrity will be well out of reach and the team will have to rebuild from scratch.

By the way, if any one player was keeping the Flames in ‘the murky middle’ last season, it was Wolf. Is he one of ‘these old guys’ that you want to trade?

The team was carried by Kadri, Huberdeau, Weegar, Coleman, Backlund, Andersson. Coronato and Bahl were really the only two impact young players. You remove the vets and Calgary is picking top 3 though.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Hackey

The team was carried by Kadri, Huberdeau, Weegar, Coleman, Backlund, Andersson. Coronato and Bahl were really the only two impact young players. You remove the vets and Calgary is picking top 3 though.

Wolf is THE young impact player on Calgary, and a huge reason why the Flames were a game out of a PO spot and not a lottery team.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Hackey

The team was carried by Kadri, Huberdeau, Weegar, Coleman, Backlund, Andersson. Coronato and Bahl were really the only two impact young players. You remove the vets and Calgary is picking top 3 though.

Wolf says hi Pospisil also was 3rd in the league in hits, Zary was flying before he has his injury scare as well. The youth movement is in full effect.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Man we get it, you wish the flames would commit to a full on tankathon and blow up the remaining core (let’s not focus on the fact that Conroy has dismantled a large portion already, and for a significant haul of futures) but alas the Flames are doomed, like your posts, to the purgatory of being in the mushy middle.

Yet you remarkably discount the incredible job the scouting staff, lead by GM CC, have done especially the past two years adding in 18 prospects to the pool including 4 more first round choices, all of which have a swing for the fences feel to them. But of course anything the flames do right in your eyes is them ‘getting lucky’ despite themselves which is a laughable take at this point. If you’re frustrated about the direction of this team it’s for the reason of being contrary IMO, it’s hard not to like and appreciate where this team is headed and it’s honestly a lot closer to the tear down model you yearn for versus the mushy middle you’re lamenting about. They flames got incredible performances from youth players last year in Wolf, Coronato, Zary, Pospisil and Klapka and if you’ve been at all participating in the CP prospects poll I think you’d realize that there seems to be a steady stream building there.

I don’t mind what the Flames are doing. Last season was one of the more entertaining ones I have watched. Very likeable team.

I’d rather watch them than the garbage in San Jose or Chicago.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Wolf says hi Pospisil also was 3rd in the league in hits, Zary was flying before he has his injury scare as well. The youth movement is in full effect.

As I have said before there are only 3 players on the team from 4 years ago (2021/22) Backlund, Andersson and Coleman. One is probably gone before the season starts and Backs is probably into his last few seasons.

Not sure how much more turnover you can have in essentially 3 years. It’s 87% of the roster.

[Heavy Jack]

Fantastic posts and both illustrate the points that Jiri had eluded to early in the thread that most fans here don’t ’not want to rebuild’ but are also realistic in their expectations and have also happily enjoyed the early success for the new, growing core. The vets will slowly but surely move on and with the way things are going the Flames will have an immense portion of their roster drafted and grown in house. Would it be nice to get that top 3 center?? Yes it absolutely would, but actively tanking the club with a pretty large youth movement growing within the organization is a recipe for an outcome for akin to Buffalo than the other resounding examples of landing a top prize pick (lol Toronto and Edmonton)

There is no perfect blueprint in this league otherwise everyone would dominate; the Flames are growing a culture that attributes winning as the highest goal and that’s the right mentality to be preaching with the amount of youth that is pushing into the lineup. The Flames are actually setup to have a step back year too in my eyes; with the intense start, more youth pushing and Wolf now having a book on him/potential sophomore slump as he continues to navigate the league the Flames could easily regress from the 96 points they impressively achieved last year. I’m extremely excited for the season though and accept either outcome of the finish good or bad because I trust now after 3 years of Conroy that this team has an overarching vision and goal that will give us some incredible hockey sooner than later.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Klapka played well but he likely projects as a 3rd to 4th liner. Pospisil I believe is ideally a 3rd liner. Zary and Coronato had solid years, but I still see 2nd liner being the most likely position long term for both.

So yes, we did get some great performances from rookies. But we still do not have any prospects that project as a 1st liner at forward. That is a significant problem with a retool, we have nothing to retool around. We do not have a 1st liner on the roster.

Wolf is incredible and I think one of the top goalies in the league if he keeps it up. But goalies can only do so much. Carey Price was the closest one recently to carrying his team to the cup, but even he couldn't do it. And goalies are extremely volatile as we see with Hellebuyck in the playoffs.

That’s why I think they eventually will be going to the free agency pool to fill in first line gaps.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I don't necessarily think that Conny has been given the mandate to be competitive every year through the past couple of seasons, but I do believe that ownership will not support a long rebuild- thus, we have a "retool" in progress. Edwards wants his playoff revenue, and probably doesn't want too many years with no post-season, IMO.

I also do not think the Flames ownership would allow the rebuild to turn into a 7-14 year debacle. But, they definitely were willing to allow the team to bottom out last year and I think they are onboard with tanking for the remaining years the team is in the 'dome.

The problem is that the plans of ownership and Conroy collided with the emergence of Wolf and Coronato and the resurgence of Huberdeau.

The question becomes, how many more legs can Conroy kick out from under this table?
And then, will the team actually bottom out or will other players rise in the opportunity?

[Niemo]

I agree. The IMO, a rebuild isn't over until you get your young No1 C. The rest is great along the way. A true high end no1 C can make 2nd line wingers who can play 2way hockey (Coronato, Zary, etc.) Into 1W fillers and still be a good no1 Line. Its difficult for wingers to elevate a 2C to the same extent.

It is a much more difficult formula trying to come out of a rebuild and build a contender without a no1 C. A no1 C typically only comes from drafting high or hitting the jackpot in development with the right outlier kid.

I understand its not up to me or the small population of us here, but I'd wager that the tank voices will be minimized if we had a young 1C to develop in a positive culture.

[Buzzard]

Any chance we could get a sticky at the top there with a recap of Rhett44's thoughts on rebuilds, drafting and trades?

This thread would stay a lot fresher and clean if so.

[Pekkerhead]

I’m puzzled as to why the Zary contract is taking so long to get signed.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I don’t know what else you can ask Conroy to do to not consider what we’re doing is a rebuild.

As others have stated, he’s traded many vets, has drafted centers in our most recent draft, not signing UFAs so youth can fight for roster spots, etc.

You must be a big Wolf hater if you’re mad we almost made the playoffs. And, with a goalie his caliber, he was more than capable of stealing a series against Vegas or Winnipeg.