2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Kipper_3434

I think he plays a lot like Bo Horvat

That’s a pretty good comparison too IMO, with McT having more skill.

[SuperMatt18]

He's not an elite number 1, but a guy I see more in that Horvat, Lindholm, Monahan, Schefeile range of guys. They might have a season where they look like a top 10 guy, but likely aren't that guy consistently.

But if you add McTavish, Frost, Reschny, Potter, and Stockselius as centers in a 12 month period you at least now have a decent pipeline of centers that give you some potential options at top 6 center that just didn't exist in the org 12 months ago.

Still think that three way trade makes the most sense if something were to ever happen here.

Anaheim: Robertson
Flames: McTavish, Lybushkin
Dallas: Andersson, Coleman (50% retained), 2026 VGK 1st

Flames u-26 forward depth would then be:

NHL Roster: McTavish, Coronato, Zary, Frost, Farabee, Klapka, Pospisil
Prospects: Gridin, Basha, Reschny, Potter, Honzek, Battaglia, Suniev, Stromgren, Kerins, Stockselius, Misa, Wyttenback, Lane, Hoskin, King, Morton, Ciona, Bell

That U-26 forward depth starts to look pretty good overall.

[Vinny01]

The Flames as we knew them really died from the summer of 2022 until last summer when Marky and Mangi were moved out.

If the Flames grabbed McTavish it would be quite something to see an emerging core of McTavish, Wolf, Parekh, Coronato followed by a much improved prospect group behind the 3 veterans they brought in to replace Gaudreau and Tkachuk.

It would be a very impressive 3 year turnaround of the franchise as things would be looking up

[mdubz]

Why would Anaheim give up on McTavish?

[underGRADFlame]

Spoiler!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by mdubz

Why would Anaheim give up on McTavish?

My guess is he was never being actively shopped and the only piece he was ever being dangled for was Robertson. Robertson would be an upgrade in the short term, is a local kid that would be great for that market, and is young enough that it's not a huge deal.

But that didn't make sense for Dallas, who don't need centers and who also don't likely want an RFA looking for $8M.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by mdubz

Why would Anaheim give up on McTavish?

I doubt they are seriously considering it. People are just getting worked up because he is still unsigned.

[stemit14]

Would love to make a trade for McTavish but it would be so awesome if the flames could somehow get away with making the trade without giving up Zary or a 1st in 2026. The 3 team deal with Dallas is the best way to make that happen IMO.

To Dallas: Andersson (50% retained) + Coleman (50% retained) + 2nd round pick
To Anaheim: Robertson
To Calgary: McTavish + Lebushkin

Dallas gets exactly what they need in cap relief, a top pairing defenceman and depth scoring. Anaheim gets the best player in the deal who is only 25 years old and he’s a local kid. Calgary gets the most raw player but he’s a center and is only 22.

[underGRADFlame]

Spoiler!

I have too much fun with ChatGPT Image creation sometimes.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

I just hope tomorrow we can determine what the objective standard is for a team that is tanking for the rebuild in terms of number of vets traded for draft picks and prospects.

The Flames have traded 7 out of basically 11 tradeable vets for picks and prospects. They have not added any substantive players.

If the objective standard 8/11 (73% of all eligible veterans).

Is it 9/11 (82% of all eligible vets)?

Once we set that objective standard we will know when we are rebuilding. For me the threshold has already been met. When you trade 64% of your vets for picks and prospects and make no efforts to improve your team on the UFA market you are already tanking.

Your posts are great and well researched, but I do wonder if they consider the last 30yrs or even the last 3yrs in this franchises history.

Some folks fight to keep up and others fight to keep things the same. The two threads idea is probably the best one in here.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rutuu

Your posts are great and well researched, but I do wonder if they consider the last 30yrs or even the last 3yrs in this franchises history.

Some folks fight to keep up and others fight to keep things the same. The two threads idea is probably the best one in here.

What relevance does that last 30 years actually have?
You either believe the franchise is operating differently now or you don't.
But the 30 year thing gets tossed around way too much.

The team re-built under BT, and assembled a decent core. Mistakes were made, including trying to open the contention window early, but this idea that for 30 years the team has been operating in the same way is just not true.

Unless I misunderstand your point. But I don't think anyone is "fighting to keep things the same".

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Would love to make a trade for McTavish but it would be so awesome if the flames could somehow get away with making the trade without giving up Zary or a 1st in 2026. The 3 team deal with Dallas is the best way to make that happen IMO.

To Dallas: Andersson (50% retained) + Coleman (50% retained) + 2nd round pick
To Anaheim: Robertson
To Calgary: McTavish + Lebushkin

Dallas gets exactly what they need in cap relief, a top pairing defenceman and depth scoring. Anaheim gets the best player in the deal who is only 25 years old and he’s a local kid. Calgary gets the most raw player but he’s a center and is only 22.

With the players available and the needs of each team, this just makes too much sense to me

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by mdubz

Why would Anaheim give up on McTavish?

Rumor is that McTavish feels slighted by the fact that there’s two other young centers in the system in McQueen and Carlsson (I think there’s three with Cutter Gauthier in the mix), but they are likely just rumours. He can play LW if they need him to, no need to move him. Just fantasizing.

[Sandman]

Speaking of Anaheim rumors, I have read that defensemen Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov are not happy with their playing time, or their place in the organization, and may want a change….

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Speaking of Anaheim rumors, I have read that defensemen Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov are not happy with their playing time, or their place in the organization, and may want a change….

Yes this goes back to last season where they had to split time, including after the Ducks acquired Trouba.
It's also why I don't think they need more blueliners.
Mintyukov was great in his rookie season, and last year was basically a year of non development.
Verbeek is a hard-ass and basically says the ice time must be earned.
But overall it's not great from a development POV.

I think both have very high ceilings.

Let's make this a biggie

Zary+1st (Vegas)+Pospisil+Mews
for
MacT and Zellweger.

[Groot]

Three-way deal with Andersson + going to Dallas, Robertson to Anaheim, and McTavish to Calgary is too perfect.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Yes this goes back to last season where they had to split time, including after the Ducks acquired Trouba.
It's also why I don't think they need more blueliners.
Mintyukov was great in his rookie season, and last year was basically a year of non development.
Verbeek is a hard-ass and basically says the ice time must be earned.
But overall it's not great from a development POV.

I think both have very high ceilings.

Let's make this a biggie

Zary+1st (Vegas)+Pospisil+Mews
for
MacT and Zellweger.

I would be all over this deal for the Flames. Gladly would make that offer and would consider adding.

[Monahammer]

Too perfect for us. It is obtusely overvaluing Andersson. We aren't that lucky.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Too perfect for us. It is obtusely overvaluing Andersson. We aren't that lucky.

Flames would need to be adding significantly in that 3 way deal. Other pieces than Andersson that could be in the mix would be Zary, 1st rounders, Coleman, prospects etc.

I have never believed that Andersson was going to get Robertson on his own.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Too perfect for us. It is obtusely overvaluing Andersson. We aren't that lucky.

Did you miss the +?