2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by dino7c

The best offer almost certainly isn't now...and its certainly not now if you say "give me your best offer we want to trade him ASAP"

Is someone saying this? Are you saying never trade Kadri? Both seem like extremes that no reasonable people are arguing.

I think some people are saying he will return the most value this season.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Royle9

This just further prooves that the world "rebuild" is subjective to the user that's referencing it.

What truly is a rebuild? I would argue that you could find a dozen+ different interpretations/understandings of the true word just by polling the users on this very forum, and I know its been discussed in the past before and everyone had varying degree's of what rebuild is to them.

• Some argue a rebuild starts when you lose 1 or more of your core (post Iginla)
• Some argue a rebuild starts when we traded away 1 or 2 veteran players (Losing Johnny/Tkachuk)
• Some argue a rebuild started when we drafted 4th or 6th (Tkachuk/Sean)
• Some argue a rebuild started when we built around Johnny and Sean as the core
• Some argue we've never seen a rebuild because we haven't truly tore the team down to the absolute studs
• Some argue we've never seen a rebuild because we haven't actually acknowledged it as a Franchise either in writing or in conversation

I think its a mix of a little bit of everything.

I personally feel like this team hasn't truly had a proper rebuild in 35 years, because to me a true rebuild is tearing it down to the studs, bottoming out for more than 1 year and drafting high (top 5-10) multiple times over the course of a few years. I personally think a re-build takes at least 3-5 years before you can call it a true rebuild pending your rebuilding through the draft/youth movement because its almost nearly impossible to re-build through acquisitions/trades.

I think the Flames have re-tooled, re-shuffled the core, but never actually bottomed out long enough to get a top 3 pick, and I think the history proves that to be true.
I think they've rushed a lot of these "re-tools" in order to try and salvage playoff revenue (and much has been hinted as this being the word of ownership)
I think we botched some of our rebuild years by trading away 1st's and 2nd's trying to chase success and windows when we went after both Hamilton and Hamonic.

It's a spicy subject though, and people will argue both sides to death so I try to avoid it these days.

They were definitely rebuilding when they drafted 6OA (plus having two more first rounders that year) and 4OA (plus two second rounders) in consecutive years. They just got excited about those guys plus Gaudreau and went out loking for accompanying pieces like Hamiton too early. And their other high picks were duds.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

This is not a retool. This is a rebuild. This is not just a rebuild, but a rebuild that is essentially a burn it to the ground rebuild. There aren't many organizations that have rebuilt in the last decade that sold off more players for futures, circumstances be damned.


The only 'miss' so far during this rebuild was not trading Rasmus sooner, as I felt his team-friendly deal was in itself an asset, especially with the flat cap those few years. However, I am sure the return for him will still be strong.


Let's just have a bit more patience. There simply isn't a whole lot of moves made in November - especially early on.

I am not buying this “no one has sold off more than the Flames “ argument I have glossed by more than once on this board. Flames have only traded late 20’s-mid 30’s players who were almost all pending UFA’s.

Chicago in their tear down traded Kirby Dach, Brandon Hagel, and Seth Jones all in young to prime age for mostly draft capital and some of theee players had team control.

Not saying that is right or wrong but I simply disagree the flames have torn it down in any meaningful way other than not letting guys go for nothing and getting some decent assets. Moving Kadri would be a step to truly tearing it down.

There is something to the narrative the Flames only seem to make these type of moves when they are forced.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

^ saying playoffs is the only benefit to keeping seasoned veterans around is quite the spin.

How about introducing our boatloads of rookies into the league and mentoring them? Showing them what it takes to be a pro at that level, every day.

Oh, but that's team culture, which I have been told over and over does not exist.

[really?]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

They were definitely rebuilding when they drafted 6OA (plus having two more first rounders that year) and 4OA (plus two second rounders) in consecutive years. They just got excited about those guys plus Gaudreau and went out loking for accompanying pieces like Hamiton too early. And their other high picks were duds.

Looks a lot like what the Kings have done with Fiala, and that doesn’t appear to be bearing much fruit. Maybe it will down the road, but Faber and choice from what was available with a first might be the difference between what the are trending towards and a true contender. Looking like another cautionary tale.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Royle9

This just further prooves that the world "rebuild" is subjective to the user that's referencing it.

What truly is a rebuild? I would argue that you could find a dozen+ different interpretations/understandings of the true word just by polling the users on this very forum, and I know its been discussed in the past before and everyone had varying degree's of what rebuild is to them.

• Some argue a rebuild starts when you lose 1 or more of your core (post Iginla)
• Some argue a rebuild starts when we traded away 1 or 2 veteran players (Losing Johnny/Tkachuk)
• Some argue a rebuild started when we drafted 4th or 6th (Tkachuk/Sean)
• Some argue a rebuild started when we built around Johnny and Sean as the core
• Some argue we've never seen a rebuild because we haven't truly tore the team down to the absolute studs
• Some argue we've never seen a rebuild because we haven't actually acknowledged it as a Franchise either in writing or in conversation

I think its a mix of a little bit of everything.

I personally feel like this team hasn't truly had a proper rebuild in 35 years, because to me a true rebuild is tearing it down to the studs, bottoming out for more than 1 year and drafting high (top 5-10) multiple times over the course of a few years. I personally think a re-build takes at least 3-5 years before you can call it a true rebuild pending your rebuilding through the draft/youth movement because its almost nearly impossible to re-build through acquisitions/trades.

I think the Flames have re-tooled, re-shuffled the core, but never actually bottomed out long enough to get a top 3 pick, and I think the history proves that to be true.
I think they've rushed a lot of these "re-tools" in order to try and salvage playoff revenue (and much has been hinted as this being the word of ownership)
I think we botched some of our rebuild years by trading away 1st's and 2nd's trying to chase success and windows when we went after both Hamilton and Hamonic.

It's a spicy subject though, and people will argue both sides to death so I try to avoid it these days.

Well nobody has ever torn a team down to the studs so that option should not really be a consideration, largely because it has never really happened. To the extent that it has happened the Flames are pretty close to doing it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by really?

Looks a lot like what the Kings have done with Fiala, and that doesn’t appear to be bearing much fruit. Maybe it will down the road, but Faber and choice from what was available with a first might be the difference between what the are trending towards and a true contender. Looking like another cautionary tale.

It’s also a failed rebuild because their high picks haven’t turned into a new impactful core
Vilardi, Kupari, Bjornfoot, Turcotte, Clarke, Byfield
Just not good enough. Turcotte being a just and Byfield not being a top line player really did them in
They are still largely led by their aging vets. The new core never developed

[SuperMatt18]

This Flames team was a bit of a unique situation too though.

Generally a team looking to rebuild doesn't have as many assets to deal as the Flames did. If you compare Chicago, San Jose, etc the volume of assets they had was much older and had already largely moved on through the decline.

This Flames team had a lot of prime aged players in that 22-23 season:

Andersson: 25
Hanifin: 25
Mangiapane: 26
Lindholm: 27
Zadorov: 27
Weegar: 28
Huberdeau: 29
Toffoli : 30
Coleman: 30
Kadri: 31
Tanev: 32
Markstrom: 32
Backlund: 33

Rebuilding teams usually don't look like that, rarely do rebuilding teams have 13 assets they could potentially move.

And the Flames have done a pretty good job of working through that for the most part - you could argue the exact timing of the trades and value retained for each player, if they should have moved some guys sooner - but as a whole they've done pretty well in moving out the 7 pieces they already did.

The key is just not stopping short now as they haven't really moved anyone in the last 18 months. They traded Mangiapane on June 27 2024 and that's the last rebuilding trade they've made. That's too big of a gap here and I think it's what worries people that they are no longer as dedicated to the rebuild.

Andersson, Kadri, and Coleman are the next names on that list that have to go and it should be done this season.

And then the interesting thing is you still shouldn't be throwing young players to the wolves - because even if you were to move these three you still have the following guys around for next season that are in that age range where they should be able to support young players and would probably be looking to add in free agency.

(ages as of next year)

Coronato: 23
Zary: 24
Klapka: 25
Farabee: 26
Bahl: 26
Frost: 27
Pachal: 27
Sharangovich: 28
Weegar: 32
Huberdeau: 33
Backlund: 37

So it's not like if you move those 3 veterans you have no veteran presence left - they've kind of built a transition plan with the players they've added and they can help Parekh, brzustewicz, Reschny, Potter, Honzek, etc as they enter the NHL.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am not buying this “no one has sold off more than the Flames “ argument I have glossed by more than once on this board. Flames have only traded late 20’s-mid 30’s players who were almost all pending UFA’s.

Chicago in their tear down traded Kirby Dach, Brandon Hagel, and Seth Jones all in young to prime age for mostly draft capital and some of theee players had team control.

Not saying that is right or wrong but I simply disagree the flames have torn it down in any meaningful way other than not letting guys go for nothing and getting some decent assets. Moving Kadri would be a step to truly tearing it down.

There is something to the narrative the Flames only seem to make these type of moves when they are forced.

Seth Jones was 4 years older than Hanifin when he was traded so not sure how he was a young to prime age player and Hanifin was a late 20’s player.

Hagel was just flat out a terrible trade, not sure I would count trading an elite two way, PPG player for two late 1sts as some sort of genius move. The Hagel equivalent would be trading Coronato to Colorado for their 2026 and 2027 1sts (if Colorado had them).

Dach was actually a good trade.

They decided to keep 9 veterans that they could have got some actual real value for when they were allegedly tearing it down.

[really?]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

It’s also a failed rebuild because their high picks haven’t turned into a new impactful core
Vilardi, Kupari, Bjornfoot, Turcotte, Clarke, Byfield
Just not good enough. Turcotte being a just and Byfield not being a top line player really did them in
They are still largely led by their aging vets. The new core never developed

True, and then they doubled down on that sour hand. One of management’s most important duties is to know where they are standing in position to the world around. Think they’ve dropped the ball, and hopefully the don’t wise up, and they just keep chasing the tail. It would make for one less team for the Flames to worry about in 3-4 years.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

So we tradin' Kadri?

Obviously BPA (best package available), but if we can fleece the soon to be desperate Canucks again, that would be extra delicious. They're toiling toward 17th-20th place over there and need to convince Hughes to stick around. I imagine it can't be going over well.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

No one is suggesting trading Kadri for a 6th rounder. You take the best offer available.

Do you take the best offer available now, when nobody wants to part with any meaningful assets? Or are you allowed to wait until teams actually start bidding against each other later in the season?

What I'm seeing over and over are complaints that Conroy isn't rebuilding because he hasn't made a big trade at a time of year when no big trades happen.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am not buying this “no one has sold off more than the Flames “ argument I have glossed by more than once on this board. Flames have only traded late 20’s-mid 30’s players who were almost all pending UFA’s.

Chicago in their tear down traded Kirby Dach, Brandon Hagel, and Seth Jones all in young to prime age for mostly draft capital and some of theee players had team control.

Not saying that is right or wrong but I simply disagree the flames have torn it down in any meaningful way other than not letting guys go for nothing and getting some decent assets. Moving Kadri would be a step to truly tearing it down.

There is something to the narrative the Flames only seem to make these type of moves when they are forced.

The Hawks also acquired Seth Jones during the rebuild. Dach was an expiring contract (and a huge underperformer for Chicago as a 3OA). Hagel was a definite continuation of a rebuild (though they probably could use used 27 year old, 90 point Hagel more than Eiserman or Moore IMO). Not sure how trading Veleno for 30 year old Burakovsky or signing Betruzzi fits with the narrative.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Do you take the best offer available now, when nobody wants to part with any meaningful assets? Or are you allowed to wait until teams actually start bidding against each other later in the season?

What I'm seeing over and over are complaints that Conroy isn't rebuilding because he hasn't made a big trade at a time of year when no big trades happen.

They haven't made a trade in 18 months which is I think causes part of the concern.

They didn't trade any veterans last year which was fine because they were rewarding the team for good play.

Then they didn't make any trades at the draft...which is maybe fine but I feel like they maybe overplayed their hand on Andersson a little bit.

And I think now with the bad start people just want more reassurances that the team is willing to trade these players, not that it has to happen right now. And the problem is it seems like a lot of noise from around the team, is that they aren't quite ready to trade some of these guys unless these guys say they want out first or say they don't want to be here.

I don't think we know one way or another what the trade market is for Kadri right now but there were rumors the league is desperate for centers right now and teams would be lined up for him.

I also think it's pretty safe to say that if they put Kadri on the market right now with the intent to move him before the Olympic break that they would have no issue getting a good return for him.

I just think the narrative that they can't trade guys like Kadri and Coleman because it sends a bad message to UFAs or because you can't trade guys that want to be here is just PTSD from the Gaudreau/Tkachuk stuff. Flames have had no issues attracting UFAs to play here in a salary cap era. The new arena will help even more with that. And the real key to attracting players is having elite young talent to play with and having a winning franchise.

Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Florida, and other teams attracted other players because they wanted to Play with McDavid, Crosby, Mackinnon, Barkov, etc and to have a chance to win. Not because they were nice to older UFAs they had signed previously.

[Tbull8]

It’s pretty annoying to think about what could’ve been with the core we had. Hamonic for - 1st and 2nd was so dumb.

Johnny
Monny
Tkachuk
Bennett

Rasmus
Hanifin
Dobson? With the hamonic traded pick

Markstrom
wolf

Is a contending core

[shutout]

Its a little bit of a personal shot, but I mean it in humour.

Based on some of the discussions on the board, I found it funny when I read about a new TV series.

Pluribus

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2220245...m_hp_cap_pri_1

Follows the most miserable fans on Earth and the ones like Rhett44, Monahammer, SuperMatt18, and Comixzone who must save the world and the Flames fanbase from happiness.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by shutout

Its a little bit of a personal shot, but I mean it in humour.

Based on some of the discussions on the board, I found it funny when I read about a new TV series.

Pluribus

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2220245...m_hp_cap_pri_1

The Flames themselves do a pretty good job of saving the Flames fanbase from happiness TBH

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

It’s pretty annoying to think about what could’ve been with the core we had. Hamonic for - 1st and 2nd was so dumb.

Johnny
Monny
Tkachuk
Bennett

Rasmus
Hanifin
Dobson? With the hamonic traded pick

Markstrom
wolf

Is a contending core

I think you were losing Tkachuk (and maybe Gaudreau) in any circumstance.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

It’s pretty annoying to think about what could’ve been with the core we had. Hamonic for - 1st and 2nd was so dumb.

Johnny
Monny
Tkachuk
Bennett

Rasmus
Hanifin
Dobson? With the hamonic traded pick

Markstrom
wolf

Is a contending core

Yes what could have been.

I struggle to figure out which was a dumber move the Hamonic fiasco or the Monahan fiasco?

Hopefully CC looked on those scenarios as the disasters they were as we move ahead because only thing worse than making a mistake is not learning from it.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by shutout

Its a little bit of a personal shot, but I mean it in humour.

Based on some of the discussions on the board, I found it funny when I read about a new TV series.

Pluribus

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2220245...m_hp_cap_pri_1

I mean, I suppose we could be posters from 2003 that no one knows or talks to, but what would be funny about that?