2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I think players looking for a successful team rarely think of teams "on the upswing". They seem very focused on right now. That's why IMO he likes LV (plus taxes and glitz) even though IMO tLV has already peaked and is heading for a slide.

I think the players (and their agents) are smart enough and understand the league and assess the situation beyond the next day or two.

It is the fans that struggle to see beyond right now and definitely have problems trying to have a good grasp on the composition of the 32 teams in the league. Most fans have a hard enough time getting to know their own team that they cheer for.... taking the time to do that for 31 other teams that they do not cheer for is a big task.

But, as fans we should assume/expect that the people in the league have a significantly better grasp on the bigger picture. This is their careers where they make 7 or 8 figure salaries.

For Andersson, he should really have 2 lists.
1) Teams trying to win now: Panthers, Stars, Oilers, Hurricanes, VGK, Lightning, Leafs, Avs
2) Teams moving to win soon: Sharks, Ducks, Blackhawks, Mammoth, Kraken

The first group is stacked now and trying to move from playoff contenders to cup winners. The second group has been bad for a long time and is now loaded up on young talent and should be in the playoffs and trying to win a cup in the next few years.

Either group would be good to join when looking at a 8-9 year plan.

[JonDuke]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I disagree. If you support Trump you support racism, pedophilia, rape, mass murder, and a dictatorship. If you are going to use an avatar of a man who is almost on par with Adolf Hitler you reap what you sew.

Ahhh, yes, the "Everyone I Don’t Like, is Hitler (and a pedo as well)" stance. Classic.

I just think it's odd that it's seemingly ok to break forum rules and attack posters based on their avatar (or for any other reason at all).

I get that It's summer but it's just insane how much hostility there is here lately.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I think the players (and their agents) are smart enough and understand the league and assess the situation beyond the next day or two.

It is the fans that struggle to see beyond right now and definitely have problems trying to have a good grasp on the composition of the 32 teams in the league. Most fans have a hard enough time getting to know their own team that they cheer for.... taking the time to do that for 31 other teams that they do not cheer for is a big task.

But, as fans we should assume/expect that the people in the league have a significantly better grasp on the bigger picture. This is their careers where they make 7 or 8 figure salaries.

For Andersson, he should really have 2 lists.
1) Teams trying to win now: Panthers, Stars, Oilers, Hurricanes, VGK, Lightning, Leafs, Avs
2) Teams moving to win soon: Sharks, Ducks, Blackhawks, Mammoth, Kraken

The first group is stacked now and trying to move from playoff contenders to cup winners. The second group has been bad for a long time and is now loaded up on young talent and should be in the playoffs and trying to win a cup in the next few years.

Either group would be good to join when looking at a 8-9 year plan.

I get that some of the following may be viewed as mushy middle, but 8-9 years is a long time. Things change.

You've already listed 13 teams, but I think you can still make a credible argument for another 10 based on already good, capable of making big moves or up-and-comer(Winnipeg, Montreal, Devils, Ottawa, St. Louis, Minny, Nashville, Rangers, hell, Islanders and Flyers are picking up talent if Chicago is the bar).

[saillias]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

Ahhh, yes, the "Everyone I Don’t Like, is Hitler (and a pedo as well)" stance. Classic.

I just think it's odd that it's seemingly ok to break forum rules and attack posters based on their avatar (or for any other reason at all).

I get that It's summer but it's just insane how much hostility there is here lately.

haha like using that profile pic isn't inherently hostile already. oh boo hoo everyone finds your politics so repugnant they lash out at you even on unrelated convos. surely you can fix this by complaining!

[btimbit]

:delete

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I disagree. If you support Trump you support racism, pedophilia, rape, mass murder, and a dictatorship. If you are going to use an avatar of a man who is almost on par with Adolf Hitler you reap what you sew.

Has this thread not gone sideways enough for y'all..do we really need to add politics?

[Bandwagon Surfer]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Has this thread not gone sideways enough for y'all..do we really need to add politics?

If adding politics is a problem, why are you saying this to the person replying to another's politics? Wouldn't it make more sense to complain about the user with the political avatar and posting that causes it keep coming up in this thread?

It would be great it everyone could just not reply to trolls, but reality is that impossible with any significantly sized group. The only way is to target the problem, not the replies.

[Sample00]

Can we not stick to rumours and speculation???
Good Lord!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I’m not sure trying to be a cup contender and rebuilding are examples of the fluidity of a direction, those are different directions my guy.

Both examples I've referenced are still forms of rebuild. We don't have the equivalent of Heiskanen/Robertson/Johnston in the fold, so if you're referencing Dallas as the 'cup contender' then we've still got to draft/develop those pieces.

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Someone said the Flames have been trying the same thing for a long time and should try a different direction. I said they changed direction two years ago and we should be patient and let it play out. You said we aren’t at the point where we should let it play out and the direction might become what the direction already is? lol, I don’t get it.

Odd paraphrasing of what I said. I quoted someone who quoted you. The point from the original quote I responded to was that our direction is far from final, we are early days of a rebuild. The public facing party line is the Dallas model, but the margins are thin and it's not outrageous to also see a fate similar to San Jose's.

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I don’t know how to break this to you but the team has been rebuilding for two years and is, actively, tearing it down further (Andersson, maybe Coleman and Backlund, maybe Kadri after next year). You want something you already have, you’re just complaining that it doesn’t look exactly like you thought it would.

Nowhere have I disputed this timeline or the fact we're doing a rebuild of some kind. This might be a kneejerk bottled response you use to fend off anyone who's on team rebuild, but none are relevant to points I've made

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

Lol, 3 weeks of avoiding this thread, check up on it and it's still just Rhett trolling the same 10 people.

I am not sure who the bigger problem is here. The guy doing the trolling or the 10 people who feel the need to be right.

I never troll bro. Everything I say is 100% my opinion as crazy as that can sometimes be.

But people are free to criticize or think I am wrong on things. It is a message board and everyone I'm sure has their own opinion that differs a bit on the direction of the team or on a player.

[traptor]

Let’s keep politics out of this thread, please.
It' shoved in our faces enough other places these days and it would be good to keep this space focused on trade speculation.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Sample00

Can we not stick to rumours and speculation???
Good Lord!!

No, people complained about the way they were being posted, so we don't get them anymore.

[Badgers Nose]

Help us Connie Wan Kenobi, you’re our (this thread’s) only hope.

[DreDayPucks]

Wow. This thread really went south.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Both examples I've referenced are still forms of rebuild. We don't have the equivalent of Heiskanen/Robertson/Johnston in the fold, so if you're referencing Dallas as the 'cup contender' then we've still got to draft/develop those pieces.



Odd paraphrasing of what I said. I quoted someone who quoted you. The point from the original quote I responded to was that our direction is far from final, we are early days of a rebuild. The public facing party line is the Dallas model, but the margins are thin and it's not outrageous to also see a fate similar to San Jose's.



Nowhere have I disputed this timeline or the fact we're doing a rebuild of some kind. This might be a kneejerk bottled response you use to fend off anyone who's on team rebuild, but none are relevant to points I've made

Maybe just go back and read the thread of posts. I don’t even know if you know what you’re trying to argue or who you’re arguing with. I don’t.

It’d be easier than going back and explaining what posts I’m referencing and having someone who just jumped in a conversation without reading what it was referencing suggesting I’m using some “knee jerk bottled response.” Grow up lol.

[Calgary4LIfe]

If I am Andersson, I would seriously consider signing in Anaheim. A young team starting to make strides, and still have a lot of top talent that hasn't made the NHL yet. Not only are they talented, but they are HUGE. They have been drafting for size. I imagine for a player with that bit of a 'rat' streak, playing for a big team is just an extra bonus.


Anaheim + San Jose + Salt Lake all look like teams that have fairly bright futures. I would probably gamble on signing long-term with any of these (in addition to whichever other teams he wants - like Vegas). Vegas is essentially Florida West in terms of attracting talent and having the same attractiveness to players. Salt Lake is probably the least attractive of these teams, but I think they still end up fairly successful. The west is going to be an absolute bloodbath with some powerhouse teams in the near future.



I completely agree with Andersson's decision not to go to LA, as I think they end up as a bubble team when Kopitar and Doughty age-out. They shot themselves in the foot during their rebuild. I doubt it has anything to do with politics.



I would rather sign out east if I am him, just for the shorter flights back home to Sweden. I think if he can't get onto Florida's team, then one of Anaheim, SJ and Utah make sense to me on an 8 year term.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I think the players (and their agents) are smart enough and understand the league and assess the situation beyond the next day or two.

They may be smart enough but the evidence is that they don't think that way, and their agents don't care.

Show me a player in a position to choose who chose a team that was up and coming over an established one.

[Red Potato Standing By]

Originally Posted by DreDayPucks

Wow. This thread really went south.

See what happens when you drive out the guys who atleast attempt to give people something to talk about speculation related. People don’t even get to guess a GIFs anymore..

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Both examples I've referenced are still forms of rebuild. We don't have the equivalent of Heiskanen/Robertson/Johnston in the fold, so if you're referencing Dallas as the 'cup contender' then we've still got to draft/develop those pieces.

We have a Parekh and a Wolf. And tell me you pegged Robertson or Johnston as stars before they played. For all we know that's Reschny and Gridin.

And there's a great middle six developing amongst Coronato, Zary, Klapka, Pospisil, with challenges coming from Suniev, Basha, Potter, Battaglia, Honzek, Kerins...

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

They may be smart enough but the evidence is that they don't think that way, and their agents don't care.

Show me a player in a position to choose who chose a team that was up and coming over an established one.

Hossa. He signed a 1 year deal with Detroit, and waited for Chicago to pass on Havlat and sign him instead.

He left Detroit who went to the finals (beating Chicago along the way) to join the Hawks, who then won the Cup.