2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[FlamesAreOne]

Any spicey rumors from our insiders?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I just think if the Flames walk into the draft with more than 2 1st we will see Conroy making some deals to add pieces to the team sooner than later. If not next summer then 2027.

Conroy has not been shy to say he would move a 1st if the deal made sense. If they strip away a lot of their veterans this year I think they will be in the trade market next summer.

I think there is a significant difference between trading a late 1st, like the Vegas pick, for a good player in the right age range, v. trading your own 1st which is likely to be high for a few years.

[Jiri Hrdina]

The idea around acquiring guys like Miller or Byram may have also shifted based on this season. Meaning, perhaps they now realize this thing is going to take longer than they thought.

There was a bit of that buried in the Maloney interview.

"We're hoping to have a little pop in momentum going into the new building. "

I might be wrong, but it seems to me that there has been a lot of conversation around the team starting to be good for the new building.

Now he's talking about a "little pop in momentum" which is a softening and perhaps a resetting of expectations for what is realistically possible in that time frame.

[Strange Brew]

IMO you don’t consider that (trading a late first) until you’re confident you have the elite talent in your system to contend.

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by FlamesAreOne

Any spicey rumors from our insiders?

Unless it’s like Vancouver over payment with Lindholm, it’ll be close to the trade deadline. That’s when it always happens.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

IMO you don’t consider that (trading a late first) until you’re confident you have the elite talent in your system to contend.

Why?
If you can use a late 1st to acquire a younger player with years of contract control, would you not be open to that?

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

IMO you don’t consider that (trading a late first) until you’re confident you have the elite talent in your system to contend.

For sure ... as a simple rule.

But what if you take a late first and acquire a great young player that is 22 and won't be in Calgary for a year.

You still draft top five this year and next and that player isn't here yet.

Really comes down to the asset value of the player in question and the asset value of the player you would draft if you didn't deal the pick.

If the scouting staff likes the 21-22 year old better you make the deal.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think there is a significant difference between trading a late 1st, like the Vegas pick, for a good player in the right age range, v. trading your own 1st which is likely to be high for a few years.

I agree and when he has stated this I always thought he meant the additional late 1sts acquired and not the Flames own and it would only be for a long term age appropriate piece

[devo22]

if the right player becomes available, sure. But I really like the idea of continuing to double dip in the first. Parekh/Gridin, Reschny/Potter, another pair of 1sts in 2026 ... that sets you up pretty well in a rebuild. Especially if you can trust your scouting department, and Button and his staff have been killing it lately.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Why?
If you can use a late 1st to acquire a younger player with years of contract control, would you not be open to that?

Adding players reduces, likely, value of our own 1st round picks.

It’s about timing.

So yeah, I don’t do that this year and likely not next year either (so sure, maybe a 2027 late 1st after the season has concluded)

[Rhett44]

I would not be trading any 1st round picks unless a player like Celebrini is coming back, which isn't happening.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I would not be trading any 1st round picks unless a player like Celebrini is coming back, which isn't happening.

That's easy to say.
Let's push on the point a bit.
Let's say you could trade the Vegas pick this year to Buffalo for Konsta Helenius, would you do it?

Why or why not.

Let's not debate if that deal would be on the table or not, I'm just proposing it as a thought exercise.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Yeah it isn't a surprise he has a competent partner and he looks better.

A lot of decisions were made in the offseason based on some anomalies last year:

One of them was re-signing Hanley based on his play with Weegar. Probably would have been better asset management to not re-sign Hanley and have room on the roster for both Solo and Kuznetzov.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

That's easy to say.
Let's push on the point a bit.
Let's say you could trade the Vegas pick this year to Buffalo for Konsta Helenius, would you do it?

Why or why not.

Let's not debate if that deal would be on the table or not, I'm just proposing it as a thought exercise.

yeah, if the pick can be traded for a 20 and under center that hasnt taken a development step back, sure!

Buffalo is such a disaster lol.
Would love to spring owen power and jack quinn out of there though.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

That's easy to say.
Let's push on the point a bit.
Let's say you could trade the Vegas pick this year to Buffalo for Konsta Helenius, would you do it?

Why or why not.

Let's not debate if that deal would be on the table or not, I'm just proposing it as a thought exercise.

Give me Helenius or give me death

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

That's easy to say.
Let's push on the point a bit.
Let's say you could trade the Vegas pick this year to Buffalo for Konsta Helenius, would you do it?

Why or why not.

Let's not debate if that deal would be on the table or not, I'm just proposing it as a thought exercise.

A lot of talk on the Flames targeting Hage. Could ask the same question on him. Hage was 20 overall but his value has gone up since the draft. Scouts typically are more accurate on prospects 19 to 21 years old where they rank them vs 18. IMO Hage is in the range of a late top 10 pick. Similar to Gridin who was 28 overall. Would flame fans want to trade him for a pick near the end of the 1st. I would want a top 15 for sure for him.

Vegas 1st right now still has big value but as the season goes on and they stay at the top of the standings no question you take Helenius for that pick as he is trending up not down since his draft.

[traptor]

So hypothetical situation:

-We pick #1-3 this year
-We trade Rasmus and get pick #29 back as part of the package

So we have top 3 pick, VGK 1st, #29 and #33. Almost 4 1sts this year.

Would you be willing to trade #29 for Mintyukov

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

That's easy to say.
Let's push on the point a bit.
Let's say you could trade the Vegas pick this year to Buffalo for Konsta Helenius, would you do it?

Why or why not.

Let's not debate if that deal would be on the table or not, I'm just proposing it as a thought exercise.

I'd do it for Helenius. I'd also do it for Kulich

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by traptor

So hypothetical situation:

-We pick #1-3 this year
-We trade Rasmus and get pick #29 back as part of the package

So we have top 3 pick, VGK 1st, #29 and #33. Almost 4 1sts this year.

Would you be willing to trade #29 for Mintyukov

I would. Minty plays a different game than Parekh or Bry. Imo all 3 might be too much of the same but minty is big and play physical and can skate. I could see him more like a weegar than a true PP QB. Easily worth 29 and we have room to play him

[SuperMatt18]

I'd be willing to trade @29 for Mintyukov

And let's say we had #26 from Vegas...I'd be willing to trade that for Helenlius too.

No idea why Anaheim or Buffalo would do that but if it was on the table to you take it.

You can't make any hard proclaimations like "We won't trade our 1st round picks". You need to be open to everything.

If you believe Mintyukov or Helenius would be better than what you could get at pick 26 then you make that trade.