2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I don't understand getting frustrated if people react a certain way though. Some people outside of this site as well are very much hoping for a tank, and are disappointed in the sudden hot streak the Flames have been on since the Maloney comments.

It doesn't mean you have to agree with people who want to tank. But there are a lot of fans who do want to draft in the top 5 and draft a game changer, rather than trying to sneak in for a likely short playoff run.

There are also a lot of people who just want to make the playoffs, and don't want to cheer for losses.

It is fine to have either opinion, neither makes you less of a fan. We all want the same thing at the end of the day, to win the cup.

There are a lot more variations of opinions than that, it isn’t just either.

As always, it really has little to do with the opinions themselves, but how they’re shared and how people react when someone disagrees with their opinion. A bit of personal responsibility required here.

There are also very much different levels of fandom. Pretending the casual observer who follows the box score and tunes in for playoffs, the draft, etc, is as big a fan as the hardcore lifer who goes to every home game and loves the team is completely silly. We can accept that there are lots of different versions of people who consider themselves fans while recognizing that it doesn’t make them all the same.

Weirdly the primary people who seem to get offended or take personally the idea that some people are bigger fans than others are the casual observer types. But nobody else really cares. It’s not a contest, it’s just facts.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Opinions are mixed on him, but thats Mavrik Bourque.

If Coleman * and * Andersson are headed there, he should be one of the pieces coming back IMO.

I don't have a problem with Bourque as a part of the return, but I would be disappointed if he was the main piece. I'm not even sure he's a center at the NHL level. This year he played 50.2% of his time at center. Right now Hintz, Jonston, Duchene and Faksa are the 4 centers. Before his injury Seguin was a full time C as well.

Bourque's best comparable on the Flames is probably Zary, except Zary generates more of his own offense.

Bourque vs. Zary

Bourque seems like a 3rd liner, that has the potential, if we're lucky to become a 2nd liner. He was arguably the best player in the AHL, but he's already 24, and I'm not sure the Flames are ready for the growing pains of developing a center in in the top 9. Which in my eyes is not close to Andersson's value.

[The Original FFIV]

Haven’t seen this posted anywhere else but Tomasino from Pittsburgh for Zamula.

https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flye...or-egor-zamula

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Haven’t seen this posted anywhere else but Tomasino from Pittsburgh for Zamula.

https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/flye...or-egor-zamula

have the pens and flyers traded before? feels weird.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

have the pens and flyers traded before? feels weird.

yes! but only about 4 times this millenium


https://brotherlypuck.com/2025/07/28...urgh-penguins/


before finding the link I tried to remember some, and the only 2 that I came up with were the Recchi/Tocchet one and the Rich Sutter one (not that I remembered all the details both were complex trades)


in retrospect my fave I think is the Gary Inness Ed Van Impe one , only for the inclusion of future considerations consisting of a 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th rounder one of whom ends up being Pete Peeters!)

[Wolven]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I don't have a problem with Bourque as a part of the return, but I would be disappointed if he was the main piece. I'm not even sure he's a center at the NHL level. This year he played 50.2% of his time at center. Right now Hintz, Jonston, Duchene and Faksa are the 4 centers. Before his injury Seguin was a full time C as well.

Bourque's best comparable on the Flames is probably Zary, except Zary generates more of his own offense.

Bourque vs. Zary

Bourque seems like a 3rd liner, that has the potential, if we're lucky to become a 2nd liner. He was arguably the best player in the AHL, but he's already 24, and I'm not sure the Flames are ready for the growing pains of developing a center in in the top 9. Which in my eyes is not close to Andersson's value.

Until recently, Bourque has not been given a lot of opportunities in the NHL due to how stacked the Stars roster is. Keep in mind that in his last year in the AHL he did lead the league in scoring as a 21 year old. Zary also had good numbers in the AHL but was about 20 points shy of what Bourque put up.

It looks like he is currently being played on the second line with Robertson and Hintz? And Steel is LW on the top line with Johnston and Rantanen? Interesting coaching choices...

Still, even while pumping his tires a bit, I wouldn't make Bourque a key part of the return in a trade with the Stars. I would look at it like this:
- For Andersson, I think Bischel would be a hard requirement as well as a 1st round pick because even if it is not a sign and trade, the assumption is that Andersson is willing to sign there and the cost should reflect that.

Note: Bischel is slightly less of a need now that Kuznetsov has made the team but Bischel would have more opportunity competing with Bahl and Kuznetsov than Heiskanen, Lindell, and Harley.

- If they want Coleman too then the flames should require Bourque be added.

- If they want retention then they need to add something else too. At least an extra 2nd.

It is interesting to do a quick driveby on the Stars reddit. They think that Nill has a history of robbing the Flames of the "best RD on the market" - referencing the Tanev trade - and thus they will be able to get Andersson for a similar value. (Or for free when he walks to UFA.)

I really want a team to swoop in, meet Conroy's price and make a trade with the Flames, and then knock out the these other teams that think they can lowball the Flames.

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I don't have a problem with Bourque as a part of the return, but I would be disappointed if he was the main piece. I'm not even sure he's a center at the NHL level. This year he played 50.2% of his time at center. Right now Hintz, Jonston, Duchene and Faksa are the 4 centers. Before his injury Seguin was a full time C as well.

Bourque's best comparable on the Flames is probably Zary, except Zary generates more of his own offense.

Bourque vs. Zary

Bourque seems like a 3rd liner, that has the potential, if we're lucky to become a 2nd liner. He was arguably the best player in the AHL, but he's already 24, and I'm not sure the Flames are ready for the growing pains of developing a center in in the top 9. Which in my eyes is not close to Andersson's value.

Yea, we don't want him. Historical data on NHL forwards is brutal. If a player hasn't broken out (become a Top-6 regular) by age 24, the probability of them ever doing so drops to below 15%..hes likely a 3rd liner at best. Cowan from TO actually makes more sense.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Wolven

I really want a team to swoop in, meet Conroy's price and make a trade with the Flames, and then knock out the these other teams that think they can lowball the Flames.

... and then (assuming we miss the playoffs) he wins a Cup and the other teams burn another year of their window with nothing to show for it.

[Jiri Hrdina]

The Stars don’t have their 2026 first right?

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The Stars don’t have their 2026 first right?

Rantanen trade, top 10 protected so slides to 2027 if so.

[Psytic]

Brayden Yager + 3rd Round Pick or Easton Cowan and a 2nd. I don't see Dallas having anything we want honestly. Bourque even with his usage and lack of his teammates finishing doesn't project to be a 1st liner and hes not young... Bischel just looks like a Zadorov a low point big shutdown guy who you can get for like a 2nd most years. Unless this is for Coleman and not Andersson.

Andersson is playing like a number one D this year. I don't think Dallas has the pieces to beat Toronto or WPG if they are looking at Andersson. It would be highway robbery to send Andersson for Bourque or Bischel the way he's playing...

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Psytic

Brayden Yager + 3rd Round Pick or Easton Cowan and a 2nd. I don't see Dallas having anything we want honestly. Bourque even with his usage and lack of his teammates finishing doesn't project to be a 1st liner and hes not young... Bischel just looks like a Zadorov a low point big shutdown guy who you can get for like a 2nd most years. Unless this is for Coleman and not Andersson.

Andersson is playing like a number one D this year. I don't think Dallas has the pieces to beat Toronto or WPG if they are looking at Andersson. It would be highway robbery to send Andersson for Bourque or Bischel the way he's playing...

Cowan and a 2nd would have to be for Coleman and not Andersson. Same with the Yager package. Both would be pretty minimal for Andersson.

[Psytic]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Cowan and a 2nd would have to be for Coleman and not Andersson. Same with the Yager package. Both would be pretty minimal for Andersson.

I think if its a sign and trade you upgrade it to a 1st but I'm not sure if he's a rental. I'll take it if they are willing, but I just think these two have more runway than Bourque age being 20 vs 24..

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Ped

Rantanen trade, top 10 protected so slides to 2027 if so.

I know they are good, but would Dallas/Nill really risk trading us their 2027 1st knowing they might need it because of conditions on the 2026 1st they already traded away?

I'm not seeing a good trade partner in Dallas.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I know they are good, but would Dallas/Nill really risk trading us their 2027 1st knowing they might need it because of conditions on the 2026 1st they already traded away?

I'm not seeing a good trade partner in Dallas.

They couldn’t straight up, so they’d have to trade it with conditions. IE, if the Rantanen pick slides to 27 the Flames get the 26 or 28 (not sure they have the 28, just an example).

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

I know they are good, but would Dallas/Nill really risk trading us their 2027 1st knowing they might need it because of conditions on the 2026 1st they already traded away?

I'm not seeing a good trade partner in Dallas.

I suppose they could trade the 2026 1st if it's top 10 (wild) and the '27 otherwise.

Or the 27 if available (likely) and the 28th if not.

[Ped]

If they didn't trade it unprotected for Mikko Rantanen, can't see them trading it for anyone else.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Ped

Rantanen trade, top 10 protected so slides to 2027 if so.

It ain't sliding. Good to protect it because you never know when something really falls apart but they didn't really need to bother either.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Ped

If they didn't trade it unprotected for Mikko Rantanen, can't see them trading it for anyone else.

Of course not, but the question was more or less how it could happen. I think the Flames would be pretty confortable trading for the 27th but 28th if lightning stuck the Stars and they tumble to 22nd or worse.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Wolven

Until recently, Bourque has not been given a lot of opportunities in the NHL due to how stacked the Stars roster is. Keep in mind that in his last year in the AHL he did lead the league in scoring as a 21 year old. Zary also had good numbers in the AHL but was about 20 points shy of what Bourque put up.

It looks like he is currently being played on the second line with Robertson and Hintz? And Steel is LW on the top line with Johnston and Rantanen? Interesting coaching choices...

Still, even while pumping his tires a bit, I wouldn't make Bourque a key part of the return in a trade with the Stars. I would look at it like this:
- For Andersson, I think Bischel would be a hard requirement as well as a 1st round pick because even if it is not a sign and trade, the assumption is that Andersson is willing to sign there and the cost should reflect that.

Note: Bischel is slightly less of a need now that Kuznetsov has made the team but Bischel would have more opportunity competing with Bahl and Kuznetsov than Heiskanen, Lindell, and Harley.

- If they want Coleman too then the flames should require Bourque be added.

- If they want retention then they need to add something else too. At least an extra 2nd.

It is interesting to do a quick driveby on the Stars reddit. They think that Nill has a history of robbing the Flames of the "best RD on the market" - referencing the Tanev trade - and thus they will be able to get Andersson for a similar value. (Or for free when he walks to UFA.)

I really want a team to swoop in, meet Conroy's price and make a trade with the Flames, and then knock out the these other teams that think they can lowball the Flames.

They did try him up the lineup:
Robertson - Johnston - Bourque - Bourque was on this line for most of Q1.
81 mins, 0GF, 4GA, -4, 48.1%CF, 56.0%xG.

Robertson - Hintz - Bourque - is a line the Stars are trying now.
53 mins, 4GF, 5GA, -1 58.0%CF, 52.5%xG

The rest of the time Bourque played with a combination of Hryckowian, Back, Steel, and Seguin.

As for AHL stats in 2023-24, both Zary and Bourque were 22 year olds. Bourque had 1.08PPG, while Zary had 1.67PPG before his call up. The year before as 21 year olds Bourque was a 0.67PPG player, while Zary was a 0.81PPG player. Similarly in the NHL Bourque is playing at a 27 point pace while Zary is playing at a 38 point pace.

So yes Zary's full season numbers as a 21 year old are 20 points shy of Bourque as a 22 year old, but Zary was already in the NHL at that time.