2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Good news is you can build a hell of a team without a top pick. Look at the Stars. Three straight conference finals appearances and they are currently 2nd overall in the NHL. Other than Heiskanen they are not build around top picks, and he was only because of a lottery win where they jumped up like 7 spots in a down year to get 3rd overall.

Dallas was the definition of lower mushy middle before they got good for over a decade. They made the playoffs twice in 10 years between 2008 and 2018

Dallas Stars 1st round picks

2009 - 8th overall
2010 - 11th overall
2011 - 14th
2012 - 13th
2013 - 10th
2014 - 14th
2015 - 12th
2016 - 25th
2017 - 3rd (Won lottery)
2018 - 13th
2019 - 18th

They then won a lottery, and hit on some lower 1st and 2nd picks - Which isn't really a strategy you can bank on. In fact they lack of bottoming out kept them mushy middle bad for a decade until "luck" saved them.

So we need to be mushy middle / low mushy middle for a decade, win a lottery with terrible odds, have a pandemic where we can draft a player of Wyatt Johnson ability when there was no hockey to scout, AND hit on late picks better then any team has in the last 20 years - And we can make some conference finals !

(I'll ignore being a tax free and desirable state to get a guy like Rantonen)

If that's the model/plan I have serious concerns for the future of this team. Well at least after the 10 years of missed playoffs

[Gaudreau is a Ninja]

Getting Wolf in the 7th round changes everything. Believe me I have watched this team since ‘86 and as we all know they never have had a pick in the top 3. I wanted so badly to get a top pick this year. But Wolf is just too good and is truly the franchise’s future. Hopefully Conroy can do really well on his future trades and Button can continue finding hidden draft gems. But Wolf is the key in all this. Vernon and Kipper are the only two goalies that have truly given this Franchise playoff success. I’m truly hopeful that Wolf is going to join them someday as a playoff hero.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Dallas was the definition of lower mushy middle before they got good for over a decade. They made the playoffs twice in 10 years between 2008 and 2018

Dallas Stars 1st round picks

2009 - 8th overall
2010 - 11th overall
2011 - 14th
2012 - 13th
2013 - 10th
2014 - 14th
2015 - 12th
2016 - 25th
2017 - 3rd (Won lottery)
2018 - 13th
2019 - 18th

They then won a lottery, and hit on some lower 1st and 2nd picks - Which isn't really a strategy you can bank on. In fact they lack of bottoming out kept them mushy middle bad for a decade until "luck" saved them.

So we need to be mushy middle / low mushy middle for a decade, win a lottery with terrible odds, have a pandemic where we can draft a player of Wyatt Johnson ability when there was no hockey to scout, AND hit on late picks better then any team has in the last 20 years - And we can make some conference finals !

(I'll ignore being a tax free and desirable state to get a guy like Rantonen)

If that's the model/plan I have serious concerns for the future of this team. Well at least after the 10 years of missed playoffs

Would you rather draft high (like top 3) for 4 of 5 years, then wait 12 years, have little to no success postseason, then have to remake your team by trading for other players and winding up with just 4 home grown guys? Because that's also a model of a present successful team.

[Sofa GM]

I could see a deal built around Robertson, Coleman, and Andersson.

To DAL
Andersson
Coleman (50% retained)
2026 3rd

To CGY
Robertson
Conditional 2026 2nd (becomes 2027 1st if Andersson resigns)

Calgary could flip Robertson in another trade since he may be a better fit with teams that have prospects or players the Flames have identified.

Perhaps Montreal, New Jersey, Los Angeles??

It sounds like an odd trade but I think Andersson and Coleman bring more to Dallas combined and helps them in more areas important for a playoff run than Robertson does. Robertson is also going to be done so at best they would trade him at the draft anyhow.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

You can't just dismiss their finals appearance for arbitrary reasons. And and what point, when they keep finding impact players throughout the draft, do you give them credit instead of dismissing it as luck?

Every year just one team wins the cup. While the goal is to win the cup, really what you are trying to do is build a team that is in contention for an extended period of time.

The Stars have one finals appearance and 3 conference final appearances. And their window is far from closed.

They've built a contending team that is a threat every year. That's the goal.

A lot of people dismiss the Oilers last 2 Stanley Cup finals appearances because they did not win it all.

My only point is Dallas does not have an elite level game changer like Tampa, Colorado, Florida etc. You can only get so far with great drafting, in this day and age you need a superstar player to win the cup. And you really only get that most times at the top of the draft.

Whenever they end up playing against a Kucherov, or a McDavid the Stars get throttled.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

A lot of people dismiss the Oilers last 2 Stanley Cup finals appearances because they did not win it all.

I don't know who those people are - but I certainly don't.
The Oilers are a threat to win it all and their finals apperances are proof of that

they are also no good.

Originally Posted by Rhett44

My only point is Dallas does not have an elite level game changer like Tampa, Colorado, Florida etc. You can only get so far with great drafting, in this day and age you need a superstar player to win the cup. And you really only get that most times at the top of the draft.

Whenever they end up playing against a Kucherov, or a McDavid the Stars get throttled.

This isn't true. They beat the Avs last year with Makar and Mackinnon.
They beat them the year before too. They also beat Eichel and the Knights that year.

Why don't those count?

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Sofa GM

I could see a deal built around Robertson, Coleman, and Andersson.

To DAL
Andersson
Coleman (50% retained)
2026 3rd

To CGY
Robertson
Conditional 2026 2nd (becomes 2027 1st if Andersson resigns)

Calgary could flip Robertson in another trade since he may be a better fit with teams that have prospects or players the Flames have identified.

Perhaps Montreal, New Jersey, Los Angeles??

It sounds like an odd trade but I think Andersson and Coleman bring more to Dallas combined and helps them in more areas important for a playoff run than Robertson does. Robertson is also going to be done so at best they would trade him at the draft anyhow.

Hard to imagine Dallas would trade Robertson if they want to contend. And if they did move him, it would be for younger, cheaper established talent to reset their cap structure. Plus they wouldn’t be adding a potential first round pick.

[CFO]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

A lot of people dismiss the Oilers last 2 Stanley Cup finals appearances because they did not win it all.

My only point is Dallas does not have an elite level game changer like Tampa, Colorado, Florida etc. You can only get so far with great drafting, in this day and age you need a superstar player to win the cup. And you really only get that most times at the top of the draft.

Whenever they end up playing against a Kucherov, or a McDavid the Stars get throttled.

Many will argue Rantanen is elite. And Johnston is getting up there for 2 way.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by CFO

Many will argue Rantanen is elite. And Johnston is getting up there for 2 way.

Heisikanen, Harley and Oettinger all have to be close as well.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I don't know who those people are - but I certainly don't.
The Oilers are a threat to win it all and their finals apperances are proof of that

they are also no good.



This isn't true. They beat the Avs last year with Makar and Mackinnon.
They beat them the year before too. They also beat Eichel and the Knights that year.

Why don't those count?

Interestingly Makar and MacKinnon have never, despite 3 attempts, been able to beat the Dallas Stars in a 7 game series.

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Hard to imagine Dallas would trade Robertson if they want to contend. And if they did move him, it would be for younger, cheaper established talent to reset their cap structure. Plus they wouldn’t be adding a potential first round pick.

Perhaps the picks are questionable, but the Dallas window is immediately. They don’t have a lot of runway for younger players to develop to stay in step with their top players. For sure Dallas won’t be resigning Robertson, so they will be looking to do hockey trades. Players like Andersson and Coleman get them further down the line immediately than perhaps much else on the table for them.

If Dallas has already identified they have interest in acquiring both, they understand that as well.

[traptor]

We have a heck of a long way to be the stars.




We need to find another 4-5 stars.

[traptor]

I don't think a deal around Robertson for Coleman + Anderson is crazy, but Robertson is an RFA on pace for 45 goals and 90+ pts, career over a PPG, multi 40+goal seasons, 100+ point season.

It would be closer to the Tkachuk trade:

Coleman + Rasmus + VGK 1st for Robertson.


and if I'm Dallas, I still prefer to re-sign him unless he's asking for an insane amount like Kaprizof. They'll have 18+m next season, and Seguin coming off the books the season after.

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by traptor

I don't think a deal around Robertson for Coleman + Anderson is crazy, but Robertson is an RFA on pace for 45 goals and 90+ pts, career over a PPG, multi 40+goal seasons, 100+ point season.

It would be closer to the Tkachuk trade:

Coleman + Rasmus + VGK 1st for Robertson.


and if I'm Dallas, I still prefer to re-sign him unless he's asking for an insane amount like Kaprizof. They'll have 18+m next season, and Seguin coming off the books the season after.

I agree, but they also have Harley’s deal kicking in next year at $10MM+. He is going to want Rantanen money for sure. But I do probably agree, for Robertson is unlikely.

[browntrout]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Who? These were the top UFA's to help our scoring.

Marner - Flames poked around and would have signed 100% if he wanted too

Ehlers - Signed with Carolina in what already looks like a bad deal. Why would he have wanted to come to Calgary over Carolina? How much more then 8.5 AVV would we have had to give.

Boeser - Resigned with Van

Nelson - Resigned with Colorado

There were very few UFA forward who actually were better then who we had. We already have the problem of too many wingers and 3 established centers who are all probably slotted 1 spot too high.

We have a team of 2nd and 3rd liners. They didn't need to sign another. The inaction on UFA forward sure doesn't speak to the intentions this year. It speaks to the lack of 1st line talent available (Which will be a reoccuring theme going forward with the rising cap- Teams don't let their top talent reach UFA and if they do they don't sign in Calgary)

Now on D I think there were some options to improve to team with a UFA overpay. But we also have a pipeline of almost or ready D prospects who they needed to make room for. I think if they were trying hard to make the playoffs they might have overspent for a D.

(Maybe they did try - the UFA has to want to sign here as well)

They also kicked the tires (Rumored) on players like Cozens and Peterka.

The Flames lack of adding win now talent may just be because they couldn't get those (few available) players to sign or complete a trade.

Now I take it as a positive they aren't overpaying UFA's and Trades for a short term fix, but I don't take it as evidence they aren't trying to get better or make the playoffs. But they did have 96 points least year, were adding Parekh and at least tried in a few cases to add quality players even if they missed out.

In reality the Flames have done a bunch of... nothing over the past 1.5 years.

I'm not fully convinced it was planned that way to be 'bad'. I also am not convinced they even have a long term plan how to get into the elite echelon of teams.

If they aren't planning to ever be bottom of league bad, they better have another plan on how to get an elite entire first line AND replace Andersson, Kadri, Coleman and Backlund's contribution over the next 3 years. Cause getting a late 1st for each isn't going to move the needle - We'll be lucky if we can replace 2/4 of those players production with late first picks.

Very well said, this team may not be spending asset to get better in the short term, but more importantly they lack any coherent and logical plan that has any vision for long term success.

IMO they really take advantage of this being the only big sports team in the city, they peddle such *&$#@ ridiculous arguments from Maloney that a high "may" not help the team, which may be right, but it just screams something they can grasp onto to help their business agenda and to try and appease the more concerning fan, it's arrogance. Man...I can't stand the loser, telling me what I should want, I have seen this teams playoff record the last 20-25 years, it's pathetic, and for the guy to tell me that we should stay the course....get $#@&$&#@ real....like get real for ONCE!

The only way it changes is when fans start tuning out, not showing up to home games, not buying the merchandise.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Interestingly Makar and MacKinnon have never, despite 3 attempts, been able to beat the Dallas Stars in a 7 game series.

The Stars do match up well against the Avs, they are built to beat them. My point was only that some people say we should use the Dallas model to build a contender, but Dallas themselves have never won the cup with the model. Even with the amazing drafting.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Would you rather draft high (like top 3) for 4 of 5 years, then wait 12 years, have little to no success postseason, then have to remake your team by trading for other players and winding up with just 4 home grown guys? Because that's also a model of a present successful team.

Both teams were bad for a decade before starting to have success.

Which is actually my point - The "Dallas Model" (Nor Carolina) doesn't avoid the decade of being bad. There's some misguided romanticized notion that these teams got good through good assets management and shrewd drafting and avoided the long downturn that "tanking" teams have. They didn't. They just sucked a little bit less but still had no real success for a decade as well.

So if we need to be bad for a decade (Which is really the cycle of a rebuild) we better start maximizing our chances at elite talent since this is year 4. And of the 2 'models' I know which relies more on luck to get the elite talent. The one hoping to find the talent at the end of the 1st round and in the 2nd.

It isn't impossible, your odds are just exponentially lower. And both those teams did end up winning a lottery with terrible odds.

[Hoop27]

We built a team to beat the Oilers and won a cup.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

The Stars do match up well against the Avs, they are built to beat them. My point was only that some people say we should use the Dallas model to build a contender, but Dallas themselves have never won the cup with the model. Even with the amazing drafting.

Winning a cup is surprisingly hard to do. I think people should worry more about just trying to be a contender.

[Jason14h]

Yeah Dallas is certainly successful - Much more so then Carolina to this point.

Let's not pretend they are not currently one of the classes of the NHL. They just didn't get there quickly and without 'pain'. It took them a lost decade as most rebuilds do, lottery luck, and amazing (I will say lucky) drafting in lower rounds as well.

Imagine if they had an extra superstar or 2 from drafting top 3 vs finishing in the mushy middle for a decade. They might have multiple cups.