2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by TOfan

I think it is a bit more nuanced than just plugging holes.

Trading Weegar and replacing his spot on the roster with an overpaid vet D, whomever that would be, is pretty shortsighted.

Weegar value to this team is more than filling the role of ‘veteran D’. It has been spoken about publicly that after Parekh’s first game last year Weegar pulled him aside a talked with him for 3 hours. That, to me, tells me Weegar is invested. That might not mean much to some, but I bet it does to a young player like Parekh and I’d also bet it hasn’t been the only time Weegar has had these types of interactions with Parekh.

Id bet Andersson is also mentoring Parekh. What would it say to Parekh if the Flames traded both?

The message presumably would be that winning does not matter in this organization, so just try to max out your salary and play for yourself.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

The message presumably would be that winning does not matter in this organization, so just try to max out your salary and play for yourself.

I think an adult like Parekh is capable of being rational and understanding the bigger picture, knowing that's not the message or culture of the franchise and seeing that these types of moves are a means to building a better roster around him and wolf for their most productive years.
I think a competitor would appreciate that vision and foresight, and repay it by working harder to see that vision through.

[Monahammer]

In truth, executing that type of plan shows a massive amount of confidence and trust in wolf, parekh, and other young members of the flames group.
Its a risk, but one that helps to build trust and confidence with the players who are supposed to be the franchise's most important assets for the next decade.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I think an adult like Parekh is capable of being rational and understanding the bigger picture, knowing that's not the message or culture of the franchise and seeing that these types of moves are a means to building a better roster around him and wolf for their most productive years.
I think a competitor would appreciate that vision and foresight, and repay it by working harder to see that vision through.

You don't know many 20 year olds do you? I imagine NHL players are more disciplined than the norm, but as a group, 20 year old men are just kids in bigger bodies.

Parekh still takes his laundry home apparently. He could use guidance.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I think an adult like Parekh is capable of being rational and understanding the bigger picture, knowing that's not the message or culture of the franchise and seeing that these types of moves are a means to building a better roster around him and wolf for their most productive years.
I think a competitor would appreciate that vision and foresight, and repay it by working harder to see that vision through.

‘An adult like Parekh’. Do you know Parekh, personally?

Most 20 year olds I know are not what I would refer to as a fully formed adult.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

You don't know many 20 year olds do you? I imagine NHL players are more disciplined than the norm, but as a group, 20 year old men are just kids in bigger bodies.

Parekh still takes his laundry home apparently. He could use guidance.

Correct, other than I’m not certain that a 20 year old NHL player who has basically led a pampered and elite lifestyle are more disciplined than the norm.

And as you say, especially in a group.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I definitely have a new fear unlocked with the potential of Weegar simply not wanting to be part of this rebuild. Bahl will instantly become the Flames' top defensive blue-liner.


I am 100% on "team rebuild", but I am not on team "burn it to the ground, and let's tear up the foundation while we are at it"!


Development takes a hit when you have a team that can't play a structured defensive game. I think removing Andersson essentially nukes the defence as is. Andersson + Weegar is madness. I hope he wants to stick around. It shouldn't be the end of the world if he leaves, but I do think it creates issues.


I remember Dubynk's story very well - he couldn't trust the defence in front of him, so he would cheat to compensate. Over time, these became bad habits, and it took a while for him to break out of it. You would hope that good goalie coaching would help prevent this, but maybe placing Wolf in that kind of an environment can lead to some damage to his development.


Tough for the kids to get brought in with Bahl being the mentor, or Bahl and Hanley as the mentors. No offence against either one of them, but Bahl is too inexperienced for that (he has yet to be an anchor on his own pairing), but that's what he will become.


It is interesting if Weegar chooses to leave. I would expect quite the return though, so that eases things a little, but holy that's basically nuking the team entirely shipping off Andersson, Coleman, Kadri and Weegar. Huberdeau and Backlund will be staring at one another like deer in the headlights after that.

I actually low-key want Weegar traded. He is arguably the most valuable asset the Flames have over 30, signed to a great contract. At the same time, I don't know how well a 35-37 year-old Weegar is going to play. Weegar is also an asset that could potentially get you a top C or a top C prospect.

I agree that Bahl as the top D wouldn't work long term. Maybe if you could somehow get a Byram or a D of a similar age as a stop gap.

[Enoch Root]

1) 20 year olds aren't adults

2) players don't look at their team and think 'we need to make trades that will help 3-5 years from now', they are primarily focused on what the team is now. The majority of the players on the team won't even be here in 5 years.

Are they capable of considering the future of the team? Of course. Is it their driving focus? Not a chance.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

1) 20 year olds aren't adults

2) players don't look at their team and think 'we need to make trades that will help 3-5 years from now', they are primarily focused on what the team is now. The majority of the players on the team won't even be here in 5 years.

Are they capable of considering the future of the team? Of course. Is it their driving focus? Not a chance.

Even if they are cold eyed pragmatists, they might be thinking about what makes their own stats inprove for when their ELC runs out.

Speaking of which, Parekh has now played nine games so it's decision time for the Flames.

[Vinny01]

One of the biggest failures for the Oilers during their rebuild was anointing 18 year olds as the saviors as soon as they made the team and the poor veterans they parachuted in to try and right the ship.

I think the Flames look at the decade of darkness up north as their biggest fear and it makes sense to me. The Oilers made it harder for the worst team to get first pick because they were so bad for so long.

Calgary has been the far superior drafting/developing team with more picks outside of the first round making it in the league if we use 2010 as a starting point. That should be a reason the same thing won’t happen here.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Even if they are cold eyed pragmatists, they might be thinking about what makes their own stats inprove for when their ELC runs out.

Speaking of which, Parekh has now played nine games so it's decision time for the Flames.

I hear the “has nothing else to prove in Junior” arguments…. When thinking offensively, sure. But, he has plenty to learn, and maybe being a dominate force while focusing on D would actually be good long term.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I hear the “has nothing else to prove in Junior” arguments…. When thinking offensively, sure. But, he has plenty to learn, and maybe being a dominate force while focusing on D would actually be good long term.

The argument that he has nothing else to learn never made sense. It may not be ideal, but the NHL is not a development league. A majority of Parekhs utilization in the NHL will be directed based on the desire to win, not develop the player.

There are very few examples of players whose development was derailed by taking too much time. There are plenty of examples of that happening when rushing players.

Personally I would send him back to junior. Let him get stronger and develop physically, restore his confidence, and dominate again. Then he has a summer to prepare with the experience he has gained so far. Next year he can join the team, and there is still the safety net of the AHL if you need.

There is zero reason to rush him into the NHL at his point. Conroy needs to be patient and smart.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

I hear the “has nothing else to prove in Junior” arguments…. When thinking offensively, sure. But, he has plenty to learn, and maybe being a dominate force while focusing on D would actually be good long term.

It's debatable whether his junior team's coach(es) would provide that, though. They may be more focused on winning.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by D as in David

It's debatable whether his junior team's coach(es) would provide that, though. They may be more focused on winning.

They are a pretty mediocre team right now, having lost their two stars. In fact, they were pretty mediocre last year as well.

[dissentowner]

There is no chance of a Weegar trade. He wants to stay in Calgary, he has a NTC, and the organization sees him as an important mentor to the young players as well as the guy who will wear the C once Backlund is gone. Weegar isn't going anywhere.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by D as in David

It's debatable whether his junior team's coach(es) would provide that, though. They may be more focused on winning.

Sure, he’d still have instructions from his employer on what to work on. And the kid says all the right things and sounds like someone who wants to improve to be a better pro.

[Scroopy Noopers]

It continues to be complete bull#### that he can’t just play in the AHL this year.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by kehatch

The argument that he has nothing else to learn never made sense. It may not be ideal, but the NHL is not a development league. A majority of Parekhs utilization in the NHL will be directed based on the desire to win, not develop the player.

There are very few examples of players whose development was derailed by taking too much time. There are plenty of examples of that happening when rushing players.

Personally I would send him back to junior. Let him get stronger and develop physically, restore his confidence, and dominate again. Then he has a summer to prepare with the experience he has gained so far. Next year he can join the team, and there is still the safety net of the AHL if you need.

There is zero reason to rush him into the NHL at his point. Conroy needs to be patient and smart.

Disagree

I doubt he develops more against a Junior level of competition

Nothing wrong with being around a NHL team, getting bottom pair minutes and sheltered zone starts. They do it with borderline NHLers

Nobody is asking him to be a saviour or play over his head

AHL isn’t available. Junior doesn’t help. Smart is curating and controlling his exposure to help him develop

[Ped]

Ilya Samsonov has signed with HC Sochi in the KHL.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I actually low-key want Weegar traded. He is arguably the most valuable asset the Flames have over 30, signed to a great contract. At the same time, I don't know how well a 35-37 year-old Weegar is going to play. Weegar is also an asset that could potentially get you a top C or a top C prospect.

I agree that Bahl as the top D wouldn't work long term. Maybe if you could somehow get a Byram or a D of a similar age as a stop gap.

I won't like - part of me also wants Weegar traded just to see the returns! I just think it would leave a big hole. I wouldn't be opposed to trading Weegar a couple of years into it, though in a way, I would feel bad making him ride this out and then trading him away before the building opens. However, the point remains that perhaps you trade Weegar out in a few years.


I think bringing in a couple of stop-gaps could work out well. Aside from the assistant coaches, the Flames also have Stone and Seabrook to help guide the kids along. However, I don't see Byram as a stop-gap in the slightest - he would be competing with Parekh for top powerplay time, while not being a defensive stalwart that would be required - I think the Flames would need a player that is solid defensively while chipping in offensively. If I had to pick between offensive and defensive D, I would put that needle all the way to defence, as that would be the most urgent need in the lineup.


In a perfect world, Flames trade-out Weegar at the deadline, and backfill by over-paying on the UFA market on a vet or two to stabilize the blueline defensively, allowing Parekh (and Brzustewicz and Mews) to shine offensively, while also teaching them the finer details of defence to help them become complete players. If there was some certainty with acquiring that in the-offseason on something like a 2 year high cap deal, I would be fine with trading Weegar away.


Here are the upcoming free agent defencemen.

https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-age...026/position/d

Obviously I would expect most of the good ones to get re-signed. One of the names on the list that stands out with potentially being available and that I think can fit the bill would be Oleksiak - plus he would add needed size int he lineup too. Even then I doubt he would want to come here unless the Flames offer him something silly like a 2 year, 7AAV (or maybe higher) deal.


I doubt Soucy makes it to UFA, but maybe with him being from Viking, he would come here for a high-dollar low term deal? That's probably the range of defencemen that the Flames would probably be attracting anyway. I would guess Oleksiak either re-signs or finds himself a better team as I am sure he is tired of playing on a bottom-tier team.


I think it will be difficult to find a LS defencemen capable of playing on the top pairing to be willing to come here. Maybe it won't be so difficult. If the Flames draft McKenna, and having Wolf here already - maybe I am underestimating it. If the Flames don't back-fill adequately for Weegar, I think it can be detrimental to the overall development of the blue-line and the goaltending, and then perhaps the forwards start worrying too much about making a mistake out there. I think you need to be competent defensively through a rebuild in order to develop properly. Weegar hasn't been a stalwart so far this season, but he normally is a high-end two-way defencemen (which obviously makes him a high-value asset worthy of a trading, which I understand! haha).