2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Sorry messed up on Meier as I thought he had term left but you're right he was expiring to RFA - which I did mention 1 year left or team control.

Same with Debrincat who was traded with 1 year left - but he was expiring as an RFA so still had team control.

So not quite term but still a lot different than a UFA with 1 year left.

It depends on the player as well. I think Andersson might have held the most value in the offseason because a team would want him as a top 4 guy all year, and possibly an extension, but we will see. Coleman I think is more of a deadline guy because he's the vet who can shore up a good team's middle heading into the POs. It's funny that Kadri is the best player out of the three, but also a guy who good teams may not need. Florida has a good 1-2 centre situation, so does Toronto, Colorado, Dallas, Carolina etc. Detriot might be an option.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

IIRC Markstrom only wanted a change because he was mad that he was being marketed (and told there was a trade only to have that trade scuttled).

Yes, and the fact that he was mad about being marketed proves that the team was intending to trade him anyway. If they hadn't been trying to trade him already, he couldn't have been upset about it.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Sorry messed up on Meier as I thought he had term left but you're right he was expiring to RFA - which I did mention 1 year left or team control.

Same with Debrincat who was traded with 1 year left - but he was expiring as an RFA so still had team control.

So not quite term but still a lot different than a UFA with 1 year left.

Your post actually said "years of control left" - So you didn't mess up People just don't read in detail!

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It depends on the player as well. I think Andersson might have held the most value in the offseason because a team would want him as a top 4 guy all year, and possibly an extension, but we will see. Coleman I think is more of a deadline guy because he's the vet who can shore up a good team's middle heading into the POs. It's funny that Kadri is the best player out of the three, but also a guy who good teams may not need. Florida has a good 1-2 centre situation, so does Toronto, Colorado, Dallas, Carolina etc. Detriot might be an option.

Andersson probably would have - but the issue was he wouldn't commit to re-signing - so it scared teams away.

Trade him at the 2024 draft and that probably would have maximized the return since extension wouldn't have even been part of the discussion yet.

Coleman to me feels like a guy where if you are trading him now with 2 playoff runs that's how you maxmize return, especially if you retain 50%. It's how NJD got the equivalent of 2 1sts for him when they traded him to Tampa.

Kadri is the one where maybe his value now and in the offseason isn't that much different. But I do worry that with every day that passes you never know what quite happens due to age.

He wouldn't be the first guy to have their play rapidly decline once hitting 35+, so think you're always better off not taking that risk and moving him sooner. Think no matter what there will be a big market for him, teams always need centers.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Andersson probably would have - but the issue was he wouldn't commit to re-signing - so it scared teams away.

Trade him at the 2024 draft and that probably would have maximized the return since extension wouldn't have even been part of the discussion yet.

Coleman to me feels like a guy where if you are trading him now with 2 playoff runs that's how you maxmize return, especially if you retain 50%. It's how NJD got the equivalent of 2 1sts for him when they traded him to Tampa.

Kadri is the one where maybe his value now and in the offseason isn't that much different. But I do worry that with every day that passes you never know what quite happens due to age.

He wouldn't be the first guy to have their play rapidly decline once hitting 35+, so think you're always better off not taking that risk and moving him sooner. Think no matter what there will be a big market for him, teams always need centers.

I dunno if teams actually would want Coleman for two runs. I don't think his value change smuch either way. He's not very cheap (albeit you can retain) and a lot of teams have guys they think are almost ready but not for these POs. There's only 22 spots on a roster and only 50 contracts.

[Vinny01]

$2.45M for Coleman is a huge value to a team trying to win it all or a group trying to level up.

The Sens would probably love to get their hands on a guy like Coleman. The Avs would love to have him on their third line.

Teams that want to win immediately would absolutely covet having Coleman for this year and next under $2.5. Retention should be a tool the Flames use here rather than Kadri

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I dunno if teams actually would want Coleman for two runs. I don't think his value change smuch either way. He's not very cheap (albeit you can retain) and a lot of teams have guys they think are almost ready but not for these POs. There's only 22 spots on a roster and only 50 contracts.

Teams will pay more for multiple runs, and Coleman fits the bill of exactly the type of depth guy teams want.

Dallas, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Carolina, Detroit, Ottawa, Colorado, Toronto all feel like teams that would love 1.5 seasons of Coleman at $2.45M and would pay a premium for it.

I think I said this in the offseason but if I'm a team trying to win a cup and looking at players I can acquire...two years of Blake Coleman at $2.45M might be near the top of the list. You know that guys game translates come playoff time, he's going to give you 0.5 P/G while playing PK and tilt the ice against the other teams top line.

[ComixZone]

Fun bit of insight into the Predators doing the same thing publicly as us:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1991967352192467394

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Fun bit of insight into the Predators doing the same thing publicly as us:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1991967352192467394

Buyers are now going to pit sellers against each other, as teams like St Louis start to accept their fate. Saying your guy is not for sale through the media makes a lot of sense. But I feel like GMs see through all this stuff, unlike fans. LOL

ROR will have his admirers, but definitely a second choice behind Kadri IMO.

If Panthers are the model of how to win the Cup, a guy like Naz fits that philosophy way better.

We forget how greasy Naz can be, because right now Flames need him to be a 1st line centre (even if he lately shows as second line on the game sheet, we know how little that means with Flames) and he doesn't have the freedom to do what he used to do as a 2nd liner.

But when he can slot further down the lineup, without the pressure to carry the team, he is free to practice his dark arts. Sneaky skill and that win at any cost attitude has to be super desirable for teams that think they have a legit shot.

If Flames trade him, the return should be better than Elias returned, IMO.

[Vinny01]

The thing about O’Rielly and Schenn is those guys are from the same draft and are the same age as Kadri. Kadri is easily the best of the 3 in every way except he is the most expensive on the cap

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Teams will pay more for multiple runs, and Coleman fits the bill of exactly the type of depth guy teams want.

Dallas, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Carolina, Detroit, Ottawa, Colorado, Toronto all feel like teams that would love 1.5 seasons of Coleman at $2.45M and would pay a premium for it.

I think I said this in the offseason but if I'm a team trying to win a cup and looking at players I can acquire...two years of Blake Coleman at $2.45M might be near the top of the list. You know that guys game translates come playoff time, he's going to give you 0.5 P/G while playing PK and tilt the ice against the other teams top line.

I agre that Coleman is the guy a lot of teams want at PO time. I'm not sure I agree that they want him X2. Some would but the market is bigger for him as a rental. More teams can fit him for 3 months than two seasons. But some might pay more for the two seasons. Either way, there's a market.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Buyers are now going to pit sellers against each other, as teams like St Louis start to accept their fate. Saying your guy is not for sale through the media makes a lot of sense. But I feel like GMs see through all this stuff, unlike fans. LOL

ROR will have his admirers, but definitely a second choice behind Kadri IMO.

If Panthers are the model of how to win the Cup, a guy like Naz fits that philosophy way better.

We forget how greasy Naz can be, because right now Flames need him to be a 1st line centre (even if he lately shows as second line on the game sheet, we know how little that means with Flames) and he doesn't have the freedom to do what he used to do as a 2nd liner.

But when he can slot further down the lineup, without the pressure to carry the team, he is free to practice his dark arts. Sneaky skill and that win at any cost attitude has to be super desirable for teams that think they have a legit shot.

If Flames trade him, the return should be better than Elias returned, IMO.

But he can also step up like he did in Colorado, if needed.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I agre that Coleman is the guy a lot of teams want at PO time. I'm not sure I agree that they want him X2. Some would but the market is bigger for him as a rental. More teams can fit him for 3 months than two seasons. But some might pay more for the two seasons. Either way, there's a market.

No it is not better for him as a rental. He is a highly affordable asset for any team and brings immense value for more than one run.

[shutout]

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.

Couple of different ways to look at the numbers since the Flames are only in year three of a rebuild.

Based on average age the Flames rank 7.
Top five are:
Predators
Islanders
Bruins
Capitals
Knights

Hawks at 8, Canadiens at 25


Based on number of players the Flames rank 17.
Top five are:
Hawks
Wings
Sharks
Canadiens
Ducks

List is based on when you are in your rebuild and how well you have drafted.
Have to think that two years ago the Flames would have been 25 ranked or lower in all three categories.

Oilers ranked 28 in value, average age they are 31, number players 29.
Panthers ranked 31 in value, average age they are 32, number players 30.

Having a competitive team kills your future.

This is a problem for the Senators. They rank 8 in value, but in age they are 30 ranked and in quantity they are 25. Aging out of rebuild growth with no success to show for it.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Fun bit of insight into the Predators doing the same thing publicly as us:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1991967352192467394

Alternate headline:

Ryan O Reilly is a predator you’d want around your kids

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

No it is not better for him as a rental. He is a highly affordable asset for any team and brings immense value for more than one run.

Like I said, it depends on the buyer's wants and needs. Some teams decidedly only want rentals. It's not an abstract thing - it depends on who's on their roster already and what next year looks like.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Like I said, it depends on the buyer's wants and needs. Some teams decidedly only want rentals. It's not an abstract thing - it depends on who's on their roster already and what next year looks like.

Tell me a team that would only want Coleman for one year and wouldn’t try and find a way to fit him in for $2.45M?

Which contender out there covets him more for a stretch drive and one run and thinks spending more assets then makes more sense than acquiring a player at a discount cap hit for 2 playoff runs and an entire season?

Makes zero sense. Even when Treliving was spending 1sts it was always for players with more than a rental run.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Your post actually said "years of control left" - So you didn't mess up People just don't read in detail!

No, Meier didn't have years of control. He was in his final year (year 4 of 4). Unless you mean that he was an RFA.

[NegativeSpace]

Personally, I think that there is not a lot of space between both your views. A contender that values flexibility, due upcoming contract negotiations, may only want Coleman committed for one year. However, that team as a contender may think that they can convince Coleman to stay anyways. A team that has cap flexibility may think that they can fit Coleman in for two years. I would be surprised in a raising cap environment if GMs of contenders would be sweating too hard about fitting in Coleman's cost. It's more the acquisition cost that they probably are thinking about.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Tell me a team that would only want Coleman for one year and wouldn’t try and find a way to fit him in for $2.45M?

Which contender out there covets him more for a stretch drive and one run and thinks spending more assets then makes more sense than acquiring a player at a discount cap hit for 2 playoff runs and an entire season?

Makes zero sense. Even when Treliving was spending 1sts it was always for players with more than a rental run.

Treliving liked a bit of term. But let's say there's a team with a middle six injury who they expect back the next year (like Nichushkin or Lehkonen or Ross go down in Colorado). Or a team that has a winger who is almost ready for that role, but they think he's a year away. Or a team with an RFA who will take all the remaining cap space next go round.