2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Toffoli had 1 year, Mangiapane had 1 year...personally once you hit July 1 of your final contract I don't think you really have term left.

Mangiapane was traded on June 27, before the team was eligible to give him a contract offer.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Markstrom is the only one traded with term left.

Toffoli had 1 year, Mangiapane had 1 year...personally once you hit July 1 of your final contract I don't think you really have term left.

Well they traded Toffoli and Mangiapane before July 1st so even by your bizarre definition they would have been traded with term left, unless you change the definition to fit your argument.

[Harry Lime]

Originally Posted by traptor

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/article/canad...straight-year/

Just a subjective talking piece.

Flames rank #20 with their core-4 U24. This is down from #16 last season, I assume with the graduation of Wolf.

Top 5:
Habs
Hawks
Sharks
Ducks
Mammoth


Bottom 5:
Oilers
Avalanche
Lightning
Panthers
Knights

Its crazy, but the Habs could lose Hage in a Kadri trade, and not even miss a beat. Com'n nah!

[The EBUG's EBUG]

@ Jay Random

The whole "we like our core" "run it back cause we almost snuck in" "going to be a tough out" is exactly the MO of this organization since 2006. The fact that they're way worse now doesn't change that continued organizational position.

I get that but also I'd love to have an organization with a little more intellectual honestly that could look at this group last year and decide that maybe a haul akin to the Carlo deal might be the better choice long term than a playoff race.

Certainly was for years before this.

You're evaluating outcomes not process, they also exposed Kuznetsov, can we agree that it was a flawed process that led them to exposing young players who could potentially make an impact in the lineup to protect AHL star Miromanov? Is that bad asset management or bad talent identification? Either way that's a problem with their process.

Well Zary looks like he's going to be in the starting lineup for Omsk in his next contract. Good amount of that is on him but still. I'm not going to relitigate the coaching issues, if you see no problems then sure but it sucks that a successful gameplan for this team now is turning the game into the worst hockey anybody has ever seen.

Sure? What's the problem?

Sure they're rebuilding I agree, but they're not doing everything they can to rebuild and that sucks, why should this fanbase accept more half measures? Why should we not expect more proactivity? Why should we be forced to give them the benefit of the doubt that they are indeed aware that this team isn't good enough and that we should disregard what their VP of Hockey Operations says? God it would be refreshing to hear it directly from them.

PS. Still figuring out quotes on this thing, my bad for the formatting.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Back on topic.

I'd love Mintyukov.

He plays with skill and plays with a physical edge. TBH a bit like a younger version of Andersson.

He has to work on his defensive game, but he turns 22 this week, that tends to come with time.

His underlying play driving stats, zone exits, etc are super strong.

Flames should be all over that if he's available.

Honestly something like Mintyukov + one of the extra 2027 2nds (Anaheim has 3 in 2027 including St.Louis) for Andersson could make sense for both sides even without an Andersson extension with Ducks saying they want a top 4 RH dman. I would like a 1st but that feels like too much from Anaheim's side on top of Mintyukov who was a top 10 pick.

But a top 4 LH dman is actually something lacking in our prospect pool and adding a 22 year old that also is familiar with Parekh would be great.

A one-for-one non-extended Andersson for Mintyukov would be a pretty decent trade for Calgary at this point, and Anaheim would have the season to convince him to resign.

Anaheim's defence is clicking right now, however, which is one of the reasons Mintyukov is scratched, so I'm not sure who Andersson would knock out as Trouba, Gudas and Helleson have all been decent on the right side. I guess Gudas could sit and swap in when they need some more physicality in the lineup but that could create some tension.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Mangiapane was traded on June 27, before the team was eligible to give him a contract offer.

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Well they traded Toffoli and Mangiapane before July 1st so even by your bizarre definition they would have been traded with term left, unless you change the definition to fit your argument.

Let's not pretend like these teams don't have discussion before July 1.

The whole narrative in the Toffoli deal was he was frustrated the Flames weren't making him a priority in offering him a contract extension.

Originally Posted by Bingo

We've argued this 100 times.

I don't see a player traded in the summer, where the team still has hopes of the mushy middle, as a player traded at the deadline when his contract is expiring in 8 weeks.

You can though.

Sure, and trading a player with 2+ years left is much different than trading a player with 1 year left on his deal. All three things are different scenarios.

But the thing that is similar between trading a player with one year left on his deal or at the deadline is that once you trade a player with 1 year left on his deal that player is seen as a rental, whether it's in the summer or it happens at the deadline.

Toffoli was a rental for NJ and didn't re-sign. Mangiapane was a rental for WSH and didn't re-sign. And it was the same issue with Andersson this past offseason where the Flames wanted the type of return you get for a player that has term, even though he was seen as a rental to the market. Which is why Flames said "well might as well hang on to him then if we are just going to get a return that's more in line with the return of a rental"

Outside of Markstrom Flames haven't really done the trade where they are moving away 2+ years of a player that's going to be a contributor for them, and made a decision thats longer term than impacting the immedate season.

[The EBUG's EBUG]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I can tell you in good faith that I think this is what they are trying to do. Or else you'd have seen panic trades by now. You don't know what the offers have been, and there's no evidence that waiting for the TDL (or even offseason for Kadri and Coleman) won't result in better offers from more desperate buyers.

Your whole premise is that they try to get in the POs but now "mushy middle" can include being in last place? This doesn't make sense.

I don't need to see a panic trades, but I'd love to not see 22 year olds on waivers for veterans. I'd love to see deadline trades of serviceable veterans for assets however minimal even if there's a slight chance we sneak into the playoffs so we can get worked by Edmonton. I'd love to see pump and dump free agent signings.

My premise is that they lack the conviction to pick a direction and commit to it and are instead passively allowing themselves to end up in last. If you're going to rebuild then rebuild with complete commitment to rebuilding, if you're going to run it back with a core you like then actually try and give them some help. I think that would be stupid but at least it's a direction.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by traptor

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/article/canad...straight-year/

Just a subjective talking piece.

Flames rank #20 with their core-4 U24. This is down from #16 last season, I assume with the graduation of Wolf.

Top 5:
Habs
Hawks
Sharks
Ducks
Mammoth


Bottom 5:
Oilers
Avalanche
Lightning
Panthers
Knights

This really shows how much work the rebuild still has to do

We don’t have a great young new core yet , while we also don’t have an older but entering /in their prime established core that will be with the team as the young guys are ready

This isn’t a one year at the bottom scenario to have any chance at building a proper team

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Back on topic.

I'd love Mintyukov.

He plays with skill and plays with a physical edge. TBH a bit like a younger version of Andersson.

He has to work on his defensive game, but he turns 22 this week, that tends to come with time.

His underlying play driving stats, zone exits, etc are super strong.

Flames should be all over that if he's available.

Honestly something like Mintyukov + one of the extra 2027 2nds (Anaheim has 3 in 2027 including St.Louis) for Andersson could make sense for both sides even without an Andersson extension with Ducks saying they want a top 4 RH dman. I would like a 1st but that feels like too much from Anaheim's side on top of Mintyukov who was a top 10 pick.

But a top 4 LH dman is actually something lacking in our prospect pool and adding a 22 year old that also is familiar with Parekh would be great.

I don't even need the 2nd. I would easily do it 1 for 1.
Minty just doesn't seem like a Verbeek type. Let's take advantage of that.

[Royle9]

Mintyukov seems like a solid add for sure.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by The EBUG's EBUG

Can you in good faith tell me that you think they've done their very best to maximize player value?

Mushy middle not just in the standings but in the sense of attempting to balance contending versus retooling, not picking a direction, sitting on the fence, setting their goal to being a plucky hard working team that might sneak into the playoffs. Mushy middle in the sense that they refuse to be content with being bad but also have little appetite to do what is necessary to be legitimately a contender.

Looking at the moves since Conroy came in, the one trade I really don't like is Frost and Farabee, which was obviously intended to shortcut a rebuild. Others at the very least seem to be trading vets for futures, which is the correct direction. Perhaps we can still extract value out of Frost and Farabee, with Farabee on a hot streak.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by The EBUG's EBUG

@ Jay Random

The whole "we like our core" "run it back cause we almost snuck in" "going to be a tough out" is exactly the MO of this organization since 2006. The fact that they're way worse now doesn't change that continued organizational position.

So you're basing everything on words and totally ignoring actions.

I get that but also I'd love to have an organization with a little more intellectual honestly that could look at this group last year and decide that maybe a haul akin to the Carlo deal might be the better choice long term than a playoff race.

So anybody who disagrees with you about the value of a playoff race is intellectually dishonest? Good to know. I was not previously aware that the definition of intellectual honesty was ‘agrees exactly with the priorities of The EBUG's EBUG’.

Certainly was for years before this.

So what?

You're evaluating outcomes not process, they also exposed Kuznetsov, can we agree that it was a flawed process that led them to exposing young players who could potentially make an impact in the lineup to protect AHL star Miromanov? Is that bad asset management or bad talent identification? Either way that's a problem with their process.

They took a calculated risk that nobody would take Kuzmenko off waivers. They were absolutely right about that. How is that a problem with the process?

Well Zary looks like he's going to be in the starting lineup for Omsk in his next contract. Good amount of that is on him but still. I'm not going to relitigate the coaching issues, if you see no problems then sure but it sucks that a successful gameplan for this team now is turning the game into the worst hockey anybody has ever seen.

I watched hockey all through the dead puck era. I even saw expansion teams play in the 1970s. I have seen far worse hockey than this. You may want to trim about ten miles off the top of that hyperbole.

Sure they're rebuilding I agree, but they're not doing everything they can to rebuild and that sucks, why should this fanbase accept more half measures?

Half measures compared to what? Show me an organization that's done a more thorough teardown than the Flames have since Conroy became GM.

Why should we not expect more proactivity?

Because it takes two to make a trade.

Why should we be forced to give them the benefit of the doubt that they are indeed aware that this team isn't good enough and that we should disregard what their VP of Hockey Operations says?

Because, as I keep pointing out, actions speak louder than words, and NONE of their actions since Conroy became GM have been in the direction of avoiding a rebuild.

God it would be refreshing to hear it directly from them.

Maloney actually did use the word ‘rebuild’. He knows the score. The fact that there is some organizational taboo against using the word means absolutely nothing.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Well they traded Toffoli and Mangiapane before July 1st so even by your bizarre definition they would have been traded with term left, unless you change the definition to fit your argument.

1 year left on contract or entering the last year of their contract isn’t that bizarre of a definition for expiring contract

Picking an arbitrary point during the season to define that they no longer have term left is actually more bizarre

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

Looking at the moves since Conroy came in, the one trade I really don't like is Frost and Farabee, which was obviously intended to shortcut a rebuild.

The roster actually got younger with that trade, and got rid of a surplus winger to acquire a desperately needed centre. That's not short-cutting a rebuild, that's recognizing that even during a rebuild you have to ice four forward lines.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

1 year left on contract or entering the last year of their contract isn’t that bizarre of a definition for expiring contract

Picking an arbitrary point during the season to define that they no longer have term left is actually more bizarre

Neither Toffoli nor Mangiapane was offered a new contract before being traded. I'd say the team's hand was not forced on either of those deals.

July 1 is not an arbitrary date. It's the beginning of the legal contract year according to the CBA.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

This really shows how much work the rebuild still has to do

We don’t have a great young new core yet , while we also don’t have an older but entering /in their prime established core that will be with the team as the young guys are ready

This isn’t a one year at the bottom scenario to have any chance at building a proper team

When it doesnt include Wolf its not very accurate

[Bonded]

The rebuild is painful to watch here and on the TV.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

The mere fact that Maloney accidentally used the word ‘rebuild’, and then corrected himself, shows that he knows it's a rebuild. He wasn't supposed to say the quiet part out loud – but he did.

Précisément, M. Langdon. Précisément.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by dino7c

When it doesnt include Wolf its not very accurate

It’s a pretty accurate representation of the forward core

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I don't even need the 2nd. I would easily do it 1 for 1.
Minty just doesn't seem like a Verbeek type. Let's take advantage of that.

I would easily add as this is a great move long term for this team.

I would add Coleman or Zary for Vatrano to get a pick for sure.

Not sure why anyone thinks that Ras for picks and prospects will be a better return than Mintyukov is. Not sure why anyone would think Mintyukov for Ras isn't a steal for us.