2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Rhett44]

If you don't trade Kadri and Coleman while they are older players who value will likely never be higher. Because you are trying to make the playoffs instead. That means you are not actively rebuilding, sorry.

Nothing in the last 2 years has suggested we are rebuilding.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They already had Andersson traded to the point LA was asking him for an extension...he is the only significant UFA

Coleman in Kadri aren't UFAs...you don't trade them unless you get your price. Price for them is almost certainly higher closer to the deadline.

It’s the Flames man. If they don’t trade him this year, he absolutely will decline next year and then they’ll try and trade him and get like a 3rd or some stupid ####. I think waiting to the TDL is fine but he should be gone this year. I also don’t agree we need to tip toe so much around making sure everyone and their families are happy. This is an NHL team not Cheers bar. Who gives a rats if it means they can’t sign FA, they can’t (and shouldn’t) anyway and the truth is people want to play for a winner. Flames start winning people will want to play here. It’s not going to matter if they were polite to Kadri one season 4 years ago or not.

Be respectful, get a list from them, try to land folks where they’ll agree to go and pull the trigger.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They already had Andersson traded to the point LA was asking him for an extension...he is the only significant UFA

Coleman in Kadri aren't UFAs...you don't trade them unless you get your price. Price for them is almost certainly higher closer to the deadline.

No matter what we say, so far it is inaction.

I don’t think waiting for players to be UFAs is a strong approach.

Assess your team honestly, understand when things will align…and then what fits. Kadri and Coleman don’t fit any sort of sane timeline right now. Their age and current value outweighs their UFA status.

I’m just hopeful we get to see Conroy make atleast 2 direction defining moves here in the next 60 days. It’s the time for action, and he’s been quiet for some time.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by dino7c

pretty much sums it up...if the Flames are going for the playoffs they are doing a pretty bad job of it with no additions despite near league high cap and multiple firsts and other picks to spend

I think it is even worse. We don't have any direction at all

We seem to be hoping we can rebuild without trading any vets. While also making the playoffs and staying competive.

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. You need to pick a direction.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

If you don't trade Kadri and Coleman while they are older players who value will likely never be higher. Because you are trying to make the playoffs instead. That means you are not actively rebuilding, sorry.

Nothing in the last 2 years has suggested we are rebuilding.

Totally all in for playoffs lol

read Groot's post please

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Groot

I think they're trading out any aging UFA.
I think they're promoting prospects when ready.
I think they're getting younger as a team.
I think they're stockpiling draft picks.
I think they're avoiding any significant UFA signings.
I think they're spending to the cap floor instead of ceiling
I think they're being patient with an Andersson trade to maximize the return.
I think they're being even more patient with a Kadri and Coleman trade since they are not UFA's.

Thats what I think based on what the team has actually done. There's been much more than 3 months debate, when did Rhett44 make his account again? (Joking)

Fair. I guess the debate is more that they could be doing more of all those things. There’s room for debate there for sure.

[dino7c]

Lindholm to Vancouver (ironically) was a Jan 31st trade and was considered an early deal
Its December 15th

I think this Hughes trade is apples and oranges...26 year old superstar vs. older good vets

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Groot

I think they're trading out any aging UFA.
I think they're promoting prospects when ready.
I think they're getting younger as a team.
I think they're stockpiling draft picks.
I think they're avoiding any significant UFA signings.
I think they're spending to the cap floor instead of ceiling
I think they're being patient with an Andersson trade to maximize the return.
I think they're being even more patient with a Kadri and Coleman trade since they are not UFA's.

Thats what I think based on what the team has actually done. There's been much more than 3 months debate, when did Rhett44 make his account again? (Joking)

So the conversation becomes: Do you think they're doing enough to become a contender?

I don't think what you very reasonably think has carved out any sort of meaningful path towards becoming a contender.

I think the time to put your finger on the scale, and make some bold (well, relative to this organization) decisions is upon Conroy right now. I think the next 60 days will likely define whether this team can aggressively move forward, or continue to meander in the middle (because I do think the Flames are more likely than not to play themselves into the mushy middle this year without intervention by management to steer/keep them at the bottom).

I'm hopeful we get to see Conroy make a mark here.

[RedHawk12]

The Flames make trades when players force their hands. The Flames learned from Johnny leaving for nothing. Now they trade expiring deals if it looks like a reasonable extension can't be reached. They also trade disgruntled players with term, like Markstrom. However, nothing they've done suggest they want to trade vets with term who want to be here. In fact, everything from the Maloney interview to the Friedman reports back this up.

My issue with this is that it's a very reactionary approach. We're not proactively rebuilding, and as a result, our vets who want to be here will remain here and prevent us from truly embracing a rebuild. We might suck for a year and draft high, then it's right back to the mush.

I anticipate Andersson getting traded only because he's not re-signing. I don't anticipate Kadri or Coleman being traded this year. And because we still have all of these decent vets on the team, I think we end the season as a bottom 10 team rather than a bottom 3 team, and we'll never get the McKennas and the Stenbergs

I think this is the biggest fear for the tank crowd and I think it's a valid fear based on historically what this team has done. Time will tell.

[Groot]

They're bottom 2 in the league. It's not like they can get worse.

Other than trading off the last few vets this year and next, what else is there to do except let the swath of prospects collected develop? I also imagine we add another top 5 to top 3 pick next year, before the prospects start to make an impact and push the team forward. Then it becomes a question of did you draft and develop correctly, and did you surround your new stud youngsters with a stable supporting lineup?

[Caged Great]

Well, considering they've had a hot streak for almost a month where they are playing as good as they have in the last two years. Lets check in how far they have gone up the standings.....

from 32nd to..... 31st.

I can't wait for the next month to go by so we can start to see some of these guys get moved out.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Groot

They're bottom 2 in the league. It's not like they can get worse.

Other than trading off the last few vets this year and next, what else is there to do except let the swath of prospects collected develop? I also imagine we add another top 5 to top 3 pick next year, before the prospects start to make an impact and push the team forward. Then it becomes a question of did you draft and develop correctly, and did you surround your new stud youngsters with a stable supporting lineup?

Don't look at the very bottom of the standings. Look at how much ground we have made up on the teams above us.

If we win tomorrow, we are tied for 9th last. We are also playing a lot better the past month and a half.

We are soon to be right back in the mush, because we have not traded our 2 best players. Kadri and Andersson.

[RedHawk12]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Well, considering they've had a hot streak for almost a month where they are playing as good as they have in the last two years. Lets check in how far they have gone up the standings.....

from 32nd to..... 31st.

I can't wait for the next month to go by so we can start to see some of these guys get moved out.

One month ago, on November 15, we were in 32nd, 3 points behind the 31, 30 and 29th place teams with extra games played.

Today, we're up 3 points up on the Canucks. Win tomorrow and we could jump to 28th. Win the next game and we could jump to 23rd. We've actually made up a lot of ground on the bottom teams. We had a brutal schedule to start. Now that things have normalized we should get some wins too.

Yeah we're 31 right now, but blink and we'll be bottom 10 in no time.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Nothing in the last 2 years has suggested we are rebuilding.

Nothing!?!?!
Really?
So the multiple first round picks, the non use of available cap space, the absent of any effort to improve the team, the trading of players for prospects and picks.
nothing suggests we are re-building!??!!

Hard to have any discussion with this type of stance.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I think it is even worse. We don't have any direction at all

We seem to be hoping we can rebuild without trading any vets. While also making the playoffs and staying competive.

Sorry, it doesn't work that way. You need to pick a direction.

They have a direction. It's just not the one you like.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Nothing!?!?!
Really?
So the multiple first round picks, the non use of available cap space, the absent of any effort to improve the team, the trading of players for prospects and picks.
nothing suggests we are re-building!??!!

Hard to have any discussion with this type of stance.

They did try to improve the team last year by adding Frost and Farabee. Since the Markstrom trade, they have done nothing to suggest this is a rebuild.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

They did try to improve the team last year by adding Frost and Farabee.

But that was also with the future in mind. It wasn't like they traded for a couple of guys hitting 30.

[dino7c]

I don't know who needs to hear this STILL but Markstom was only disgruntled because the Flames had already asked him to waive and had not moved him yet

Markstom was 100% a situation where the Flames shot first

Trade looks like a grand slam too. Anyone who thinks Conroy is doing things the same as previous management isn't paying attention. How often have the Flames picked in the first round three years in a row at all let alone 2 picks in the first round 3 years in a row.

since the cap came in how often have the Flames had 10M in cap space? how often have they not signed any UFAs?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

If you don't trade Kadri and Coleman while they are older players who value will likely never be higher. Because you are trying to make the playoffs instead. That means you are not actively rebuilding, sorry.

Nothing in the last 2 years has suggested we are rebuilding.

I bet you thought last year that Kadri and Coleman's value wouldn't be higher than it was then. But it is now. So is Andersson's for that matter.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

They did try to improve the team last year by adding Frost and Farabee. Since the Markstrom trade, they have done nothing to suggest this is a rebuild.

They got younger.