2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Why are folks saying this loop hole closing rule change is bad?

From Flames perspective all I see are pluses.

Cap space just increased in value, we have lots
Retention slots just increased in value, we have lots
Rentals with low cap hits just increased in value, we have Ras

Maybe the rental value for Ras even approaches the extended contract value for Ras, for a team with big Cup ambitions this year and a desire add depth to their backline. If so, the only question is, will that happen now or at the deadline.

I would add players with limited, or no trade protection value also went up.

It seems for the last 3-5 years that a large % of players want to play for a low % of teams and those teams always cheat the cap to add more and more.

Players are going to have to widen the range of teams they are interested in.

Teams that get overlooked might get more players now. We could see some teams that have potential to move up the standings opening the door for those teams being buyers.

By this deadline, the Flames will be down to Huberdeau and Kadri with full trade protection. Most players have 10 team no trade lists or less. If we are sellers, I see a huge opportunity to take a huge step in the rebuild

[topfiverecords]

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Why are folks saying this loop hole closing rule change is bad?

From Flames perspective all I see are pluses.

Cap space just increased in value, we have lots
Retention slots just increased in value, we have lots
Rentals with low cap hits just increased in value, we have Ras

Maybe the rental value for Ras even approaches the extended contract value for Ras, for a team with big Cup ambitions this year and a desire add depth to their backline. If so, the only question is, will that happen now or at the deadline.

Also, for every fan that hates the cup winning teams that have been circumventing the salary cap to win the cup, this ends that angst.

That should make people happy.... unless they need to feel that angst and base their entire personalities around being angry.... uh oh.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Also, for every fan that hates the cup winning teams that have been circumventing the salary cap to win the cup, this ends that angst.

That should make people happy.... unless they need to feel that angst and base their entire personalities around being angry.... uh oh.

Yeah, IMO the abusers of this loop hole are in a pressure cooker right now. Big expectations, big pressure and their job just got harder.

Finally, we are in a position to start throwing those life preserver looking anchors Burke used to talk about. I really hope CC can bend some of those ####ers over the barrel. The Flames and CC are due some good fortune on the trade front.

And I especially hope this shatters Vegas’ contention window.

[SuperMatt18]

It impacts Vegas if they wanted to pull a Stone again, but I don't think he hurts them with Pietrangelo who has pretty much retired.

You can exceed the "average replacement" but it means that player is ineligible to return for the remainder of the season or playoffs.

With Pietrangelo that won't be an issue.

They should have just created a provision where if a player is truly LTIR retired that he can be placed on a different list where he doesn't count against the cap. The whole LTIR thing for players like Pietrangelo and Price who are actually retired has always been weird.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It impacts Vegas if they wanted to pull a Stone again, but I don't think he hurts them with Pietrangelo who has pretty much retired.

You can exceed the "average replacement" but it means that player is ineligible to return for the remainder of the season or playoffs.

With Pietrangelo that won't be an issue.

They should have just created a provision where if a player is truly LTIR retired that he can be placed on a different list where he doesn't count against the cap. The whole LTIR thing for players like Pietrangelo and Price who are actually retired has always been weird.

Vegas is fine, once they put Pietrangelo on the LTIR they will be about 1.2 million under the cap.

[CKPThunder]

So just to clarify for myself. A player can still be traded during the season with double retention but that players cap hit for the playoffs will with a single retention correct?

So for example. Rasmus gets traded with full double retention during the year and the acquiring team gets him during the year at $1.1375M. However during the playoffs, his cap hit becomes $2.275M. Is this correct?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by CKPThunder

So just to clarify for myself. A player can still be traded during the season with double retention but that players cap hit for the playoffs will with a single retention correct?

So for example. Rasmus gets traded with full double retention during the year and the acquiring team gets him during the year at $1.1375M. However during the playoffs, his cap hit becomes $2.275M. Is this correct?

This stuff is confusing but I thought double retention is going away totally.

[CKPThunder]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

This stuff is confusing but I thought double retention is going away totally.

You are probably correct. I must have misunderstood as I thought this was just for the playoff cap.

[Canada 02]

Wild owner sees Kaprizov extension as 'likely the biggest in the NHL ever'

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold believes an extension with Kirill Kaprizov is close and he's prepared to break the bank to keep the star winger in St. Paul.

Kaprizov became eligible to sign an extension on July 1, though Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported in July that talks were on hold until Kaprizov returned from his summer away in Russia.

“I just feel like we’re not that far off,” Leipold said Wednesday, per The Athletic(opens in a new tab). “I kind of think we’re there. I like to believe when Kirill comes over and gets a sense again for the excitement and the love of the city, I think we’ll be moving forward in a good direction.”

Leipold vowed last season that the club would not give Kaprizov a reason to leave based on money and doubled down on that sentiment again Wednesday.

"This will be a huge deal - likely the biggest in the NHL ever," he said.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/minnesota-wil...ever-1.2354906

[Macho0978]

There also will be some interesting healthy scratches come playoff time too if teams make deals for players due to injury.

Oilers make a big move too add and then bench Nurse type decisions.

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It impacts Vegas if they wanted to pull a Stone again, but I don't think he hurts them with Pietrangelo who has pretty much retired.

You can exceed the "average replacement" but it means that player is ineligible to return for the remainder of the season or playoffs.

With Pietrangelo that won't be an issue.

They should have just created a provision where if a player is truly LTIR retired that he can be placed on a different list where he doesn't count against the cap. The whole LTIR thing for players like Pietrangelo and Price who are actually retired has always been weird.

The problem is that these LTIR retirements are another cap circumvention. Marchand getting a 6 year contract at age 37, meaning it triggers the 35+ rules in the CBA, shows that they are going to play him until his body breaks down from age instead of some specific ailment and then put him on the LTIR until his contract runs out.

This is slightly different from Pietrangelo, Price, or Weber who signed contracts in good faith and are unable to play them out because of real issues but the last thing you want to do is create a special "LTIR retired" category that invites the bad faith version of this behaviour.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by mile

There are GM meetings right now? Hope something exciting happens

GMs with coaches as well, I think? Believe Daly mentioned that on Friedman's latest pod.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Leeman4Gilmour

Florida has to shed $4.5MM to make room for Tkachuk when he comes off of LTIR. If he's gone for the entire regular season, they will have to put the same amount in the press box to get him into the line up. They will be interesting to watch.

I recall Friedman mentioning at some point this summer that he is hearing that Chucky will be on LTIR for a good portion of the season. Can't remember what that timeline was but I'm thinking more than half the season.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Macho0978

There also will be some interesting healthy scratches come playoff time too if teams make deals for players due to injury.

Oilers make a big move too add and then bench Nurse type decisions.

I think this is how it will play out. We'll still see teams with high end players who are stashed on injury reserve make deals at the trade deadline, but when playoffs come, and when players get healthy, they'll just move contracts to the press box to be cap compliant.

I don't think it'll stop teams like Florida or Vegas to make deals that might put them over the cap come playoff time. We will just likely see some better players with high dollar contracts eating popcorn.

It'll be interesting in the next round of negotiations with how the NHLPA will respond to that, as some of their vets will be pretty pissed off being healthy scratches during a playoff run.

[calf]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Something is being brought back to life...and even though we could, doesn't mean we should. Doing so will result in dangerous, yet totally foreseeable mayhem.


Therefore:
Theo Fleury's jersey is going up to the rafters

[Bob Loblaw]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

This stuff is confusing but I thought double retention is going away totally.

I thought I heard or read that there could still be double retention if there is at least 75 days between the transactions. That is, it would be possible if Ras gets traded with retention before mid December, and then gets flipped again at the deadline.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Wolven

The problem is that these LTIR retirements are another cap circumvention. Marchand getting a 6 year contract at age 37, meaning it triggers the 35+ rules in the CBA, shows that they are going to play him until his body breaks down from age instead of some specific ailment and then put him on the LTIR until his contract runs out.

This is slightly different from Pietrangelo, Price, or Weber who signed contracts in good faith and are unable to play them out because of real issues but the last thing you want to do is create a special "LTIR retired" category that invites the bad faith version of this behaviour.

I agree with your point, but Weber's 14 year offer sheet was clearly meant to circumvent the cap and Philadelphia/Nashville and the player knew that he likely wouldn't be playing up to his $7.8m contract at 41--or playing at all by then.

It was likely one of the reasons the NHL lockout happened in 2012/13 as the NHL was determined to cap contract lengths.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

I think this is how it will play out. We'll still see teams with high end players who are stashed on injury reserve make deals at the trade deadline, but when playoffs come, and when players get healthy, they'll just move contracts to the press box to be cap compliant.

I don't think it'll stop teams like Florida or Vegas to make deals that might put them over the cap come playoff time. We will just likely see some better players with high dollar contracts eating popcorn.

It'll be interesting in the next round of negotiations with how the NHLPA will respond to that, as some of their vets will be pretty pissed off being healthy scratches during a playoff run.

I think this could lead to players waiving NTC to go to a team that isn't over the cap.

A guys like Evan Rodriguez might not want to leave Florida, but if they bench him in the playoffs for a league minimum player so they can get under the cap, he might be willing to move on then.

I think there is going to be tons of deals involving RS and could be teams brokering deals for the RS spot if another team has used all 3.

[Geeoff]

Except for the playoff cap, aren't the CBA rules the same as last season, with the other new stuff starting in 26/27?