2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[CochraneKurt]

I don't know how many of you have kids. Or how many have kids in that 6-12 year old range where they start truly finding their inner fan.

My son is 9. He couldn't care less about the Flames. He talks about Mcdavid, Mathews, Celebrini, MacKinnon, Bedard. He knows the goalie is Wolf but it's the howl during games that sealed that for him. This team won the cup when I was 9. I was hooked. But, what do kids now have? Certainly they don't have a sustainable winner to root for. Old Gaudreau jerseys are probably more of a go to than any skater on this current roster.

What stood out to me is his mindset after the Jays World Series run. He knows 50%+ of the roster. Asked for jerseys and Jays swag for Christmas. The Jays captured him as a fan now. The Flames are just a local team that wears red that McDavid and such play against to him.

This is what is also lost in all of this debate....why would any kid choose Calgary as their team? If I just moved here from a different country I don't know if I could become a fan either. Just bleh all around. Build something sustainable with players the kids can love and everyone will be happy. The next generation of fans is wearing a lot of blue and orange around these parts and it's no knes fault but the Flames.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I believe the Flames hoped they would be better than last year, but weren’t willing to sacrifice long term cap space for middle level players. UFA’s aren’t the only way to get better.

Look at this team compared to start of last year. Frost and Farabee for a full season. Leaving space on back end for a couple of the young D to play. Expecting a bounce back for Sharangovich and Andersson. Continued improvement from Coronato.

Did they make a huge off season push to jump up in the standings? No. But they certainly weren’t trying to get worse. Only position where they legitimately took a step back was backup goalie. And IMO they were ready to do something there in season if needed.

Personally I felt they'd get worse because you wouldn't get the same seasons from Huberdeau and Kadri ... largely the offensive engine of the team last year.

That has largely been true, but the slack has been taken up by balanced scoring and a huge pop from Andersson.

I think they thought they'd be bad last year, and were surprised they weren't.

Would guess they were expecting a normalization of some of the things that went well pushing them down the standings this year. (certainly happened early)

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by CochraneKurt

Winning attracts fans

No ####.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by CochraneKurt

I don't know how many of you have kids. Or how many have kids in that 6-12 year old range where they start truly finding their inner fan.

My son is 9. He couldn't care less about the Flames. He talks about Mcdavid, Mathews, Celebrini, MacKinnon, Bedard. He knows the goalie is Wolf but it's the howl during games that sealed that for him. This team won the cup when I was 9. I was hooked. But, what do kids now have? Certainly they don't have a sustainable winner to root for. Old Gaudreau jerseys are probably more of a go to than any skater on this current roster.

What stood out to me is his mindset after the Jays World Series run. He knows 50%+ of the roster. Asked for jerseys and Jays swag for Christmas. The Jays captured him as a fan now. The Flames are just a local team that wears red that McDavid and such play against to him.

This is what is also lost in all of this debate....why would any kid choose Calgary as their team? If I just moved here from a different country I don't know if I could become a fan either. Just bleh all around. Build something sustainable with players the kids can love and everyone will be happy. The next generation of fans is wearing a lot of blue and orange around these parts and it's no knes fault but the Flames.

My son is 18 and my daughter is 13. My son was a Flames fan for years and now is a NYR. Loved Lundqvist and now Shesterkin. My son cheers for the Oilers in the playoffs now. He still like the Flames but he loves McDavid

My daughter loves the Flames and hates the Oilers. I have taught her well, but she tells me that all her friends at school are Oilers fans. Kids that were born and raised in Calgary are Oilers fans. It's pretty clear why.

IMO the team should trade Kadri, Coleman and Ras and make a run at a top pick. This year is the best year to do it because this year you don't need to be a 50 point team to get last. Every team in the league has a point pace of 70 or better. They do not need to be all time bad to get last. They will still win games and season ticket holders can enjoy most of the season and still get that top pick.

At minimum, Ras and Frost could move and maybe some other depth if they get calls. They don't need to go full tank to get to the bottom. Winnipeg I believe will get hot and Vancouver has been ok since the Hughes deal. When Bedard gets back Chicago should play better. The door is wide open with just a couple moves IMO

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by CochraneKurt

I don't know how many of you have kids. Or how many have kids in that 6-12 year old range where they start truly finding their inner fan.

My son is 9. He couldn't care less about the Flames. He talks about Mcdavid, Mathews, Celebrini, MacKinnon, Bedard. He knows the goalie is Wolf but it's the howl during games that sealed that for him. This team won the cup when I was 9. I was hooked. But, what do kids now have? Certainly they don't have a sustainable winner to root for. Old Gaudreau jerseys are probably more of a go to than any skater on this current roster.

What stood out to me is his mindset after the Jays World Series run. He knows 50%+ of the roster. Asked for jerseys and Jays swag for Christmas. The Jays captured him as a fan now. The Flames are just a local team that wears red that McDavid and such play against to him.

This is what is also lost in all of this debate....why would any kid choose Calgary as their team? If I just moved here from a different country I don't know if I could become a fan either. Just bleh all around. Build something sustainable with players the kids can love and everyone will be happy. The next generation of fans is wearing a lot of blue and orange around these parts and it's no knes fault but the Flames.

Hopefully you’ve been able to watch the world juniors and point out the leading scorer of the tournament to him!! I think Zayne’s play and his off ice personality and interviews will go a long way towards igniting the newest generation of Flames fans! Hasn’t been much to hang the hat on though the last few years for sure, man I miss the Johnny days.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

It is pretty clear people want to move Kadri, Coleman, Andersson.

The fact the flames “could only move Coleman now if they attach a 2nd and get a 5th back” has to be one of the weakest arguments and excuses for the Flames I have heard yet.

Once it was clear Danault was on the market and the Kings actively shopped him they still got a 2nd despite him having another year on his deal and terrible stats this year.

The excuse the flames won’t or can’t make a trade now because only good offers come in towards the deadline is not something I am buying. I think there was always a reluctance to move anyone outside Andersson this year and the fact they played their way out of this start back into the wildcard mix I would be surprised if we see Kadri and Coleman go this year.

To play Devil's advocate: Did the value of Andersson, Coleman and Kadri increase, decrease or stay the same over the last 20 games? All 3 have been playing some great hockey. If anything the Flames put themselves in a great position for negotiating said trades. They aren't a desperate team that has to have a fire sale like they did in 2023-24.

I'm still in the wait and see camp, both regarding where we end up in the standings, and the potential trades to be made.

Finally since it seems like top 3 pick or bust for many posters: are Stenberg, and Verhoeff dominating in this world juniors? Bjorck actually looks better than Stenberg so far for Swe, while Verhoeff gets 10 mins a night as the 6th D for Canada.

[Roko]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

To play Devil's advocate: Did the value of Andersson, Coleman and Kadri increase, decrease or stay the same over the last 20 games? All 3 have been playing some great hockey. If anything the Flames put themselves in a great position for negotiating said trades. They aren't a desperate team that has to have a fire sale like they did in 2023-24.

I'm still in the wait and see camp, both regarding where we end up in the standings, and the potential trades to be made.

Finally since it seems like top 3 pick or bust for many posters: are Stenberg, and Verhoeff dominating in this world juniors? Bjorck actually looks better than Stenberg so far for Swe, while Verhoeff gets 10 mins a night as the 6th D for Canada.

Stenberg has looked really good, on a deep Sweden team. He similar to Misa just hasn’t lit up the points. Verhoeff now that he is getting more ice time looks excellent. Reminder these are all 17 year olds in a tournament that is always a 19 year olds tournament.

[TOfan]

One of the things that makes me shake my head is Huska himself said at the beginning of the season was a team can’t make the playoffs in Oct/Nov but the can miss them.

Someone is going to have to explain to me then what has transpired since and would Huska say the same thing now. Or perhaps he meant a team needs to go winless for 20 games. Cause otherwise, I’m at a loss with what they’ve done.

The Flames need to smarten up. I don’t think they think much of the fans. Sure, they’re happy to take your money but when it comes to legitimizing themselves as a top organization in the league, they don’t appear to be very serious about that.

I would expect that Andersson is moved in the next 2-3 weeks, sooner the better. Coleman, at least, should follow by the deadline. If they don’t pick top 5 this draft (should be top 3) I doubt we’ll see this team ever change as long as Edwards owns the team.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by TOfan

One of the things that makes me shake my head is Huska himself said at the bet of the season was a te can’t make the playoffs in Oct/Nov but the can miss them.

Someone is going to have to explain to me then what has transpired since and would Huska say the same thing now. Or perhaps he meant a team needs to go winless for 20 games.

The Flames need to smarten up. I don’t think they think much of the fans. Sure, they’re happy to take your money but when it comes to legitimizing themselves as a top organization in the league, they don’t appear to be very serious about that.

Let’s hope Andersson is loved in the next 2-3 weeks, sooner the better. Coleman, at least, should follow by the deadline. If they don’t pick top 5 this draft (should be top 3) I doubt we’ll see this team ever change as long as Edwards owns the team.

ZERO respect for their fans.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

To play Devil's advocate: Did the value of Andersson, Coleman and Kadri increase, decrease or stay the same over the last 20 games? All 3 have been playing some great hockey. If anything the Flames put themselves in a great position for negotiating said trades. They aren't a desperate team that has to have a fire sale like they did in 2023-24.

I'm still in the wait and see camp, both regarding where we end up in the standings, and the potential trades to be made.

Finally since it seems like top 3 pick or bust for many posters: are Stenberg, and Verhoeff dominating in this world juniors? Bjorck actually looks better than Stenberg so far for Swe, while Verhoeff gets 10 mins a night as the 6th D for Canada.

The bar for Andersson is clear that it has to be better than the Carlo deal or it will be a missed opportunity by the org. Andersson has done nothing to hurt his trade value this season and has likely increased it. I think Kadri and Coleman stayed the same but the clock is ticking on both specifically Coleman. His value will be the highest this deadline with 2 runs being an attractive selling feature for teams coughing up the assets.

As much as I would like them to move off all 3 vets I can see the reasoning behind keeping Kadri as he has a lot of term left, and this team is short on good centers.

They moved off Markstrom when they did because they had Wolf. They have definitely held onto Andersson longer than I expected knowing about Parekh and Brustewicz last year. I don’t see the young centers that Kadri would free up room for so I could definitely see him being part of the team this season and beyond.

[CochraneKurt]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Hopefully you’ve been able to watch the world juniors and point out the leading scorer of the tournament to him!! I think Zayne’s play and his off ice personality and interviews will go a long way towards igniting the newest generation of Flames fans! Hasn’t been much to hang the hat on though the last few years for sure, man I miss the Johnny days.

We have been. I've told him ZP and CR are the names to watch for Canada. Thankfully they are standing out. And trying to do some pre Olympic hype as he loved the 4Nations. But again...Mcdavid scored that goal and it's all he talks about. Absolutely get it, just want Calgary to give him a reason to love the Flames, not just like them because I do.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

ZERO respect for their fans.

Zero?

That doesn't seem over the top to you?

[Heavy Jack]

Here’s to hoping the flames have an exciting team full of stars for the new building! I think we are on the right path for sure but it would be nice to get that generational top pick for once; it’ll be interesting to see how January plays out here; feel bad that McDavid fever is getting your sons attention and it’s almost unavoidable but Parehk and Wolf are giving me a ton of hope; really if we can land that one super elite forward I think the future is quite bright when you start looking at the list of young talent we’ve amassed

Wolf
Coronato
Zary
Brzustewicz
Kuznetzov
Parehk
Bahl
Reschny
Potter
Klapka
Honzek

All these players have already or IMO will play meaningful nhl games; flames look to have found a potential gem in Wyttenbach too and I’m personally very excited to see Stromgren finally get a nhl shot. The future is evidently appearing to be brighter which is exciting to see heading into the new arena, hopefully we can add a big game-changer prospect to an already decently full cupboard.

[Vinny01]

I am excited about the Flames prospect pool as well and think they have had some strong recent drafts. It is one of the main reasons I feel a couple of years getting high picks and true game changing talent will be all they need before they are building back up to be a threat. I am just not sure they can do it without a couple picks in the top 5.

[GioforPM]

So now we are taking a coach’s post game press remarks clearly meant as saying “my team isn’t playing well’ as some overarching message about the team’s direction.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Here’s to hoping the flames have an exciting team full of stars for the new building! I think we are on the right path for sure but it would be nice to get that generational top pick for once; it’ll be interesting to see how January plays out here; feel bad that McDavid fever is getting your sons attention and it’s almost unavoidable but Parehk and Wolf are giving me a ton of hope; really if we can land that one super elite forward I think the future is quite bright when you start looking at the list of young talent we’ve amassed

Wolf
Coronato
Zary
Brzustewicz
Kuznetzov
Parehk
Bahl
Reschny
Potter
Klapka
Honzek

All these players have already or IMO will play meaningful nhl games; flames look to have found a potential gem in Wyttenbach too and I’m personally very excited to see Stromgren finally get a nhl shot. The future is evidently appearing to be brighter which is exciting to see heading into the new arena, hopefully we can add a big game-changer prospect to an already decently full cupboard.

Gridin looks at your list and has a sad.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

Here’s to hoping the flames have an exciting team full of stars for the new building! I think we are on the right path for sure but it would be nice to get that generational top pick for once; it’ll be interesting to see how January plays out here; feel bad that McDavid fever is getting your sons attention and it’s almost unavoidable but Parehk and Wolf are giving me a ton of hope; really if we can land that one super elite forward I think the future is quite bright when you start looking at the list of young talent we’ve amassed

Wolf
Coronato
Zary
Brzustewicz
Kuznetzov
Parehk
Bahl
Reschny
Potter
Klapka
Honzek

All these players have already or IMO will play meaningful nhl games; flames look to have found a potential gem in Wyttenbach too and I’m personally very excited to see Stromgren finally get a nhl shot. The future is evidently appearing to be brighter which is exciting to see heading into the new arena, hopefully we can add a big game-changer prospect to an already decently full cupboard.

Yeah theres alot of solid pieces in the system now.




I think if we were able to augment that group with a couple top end picks, the future would be looking VERY bright.

[theg69]

Originally Posted by CochraneKurt

We have been. I've told him ZP and CR are the names to watch for Canada. Thankfully they are standing out. And trying to do some pre Olympic hype as he loved the 4Nations. But again...Mcdavid scored that goal and it's all he talks about. Absolutely get it, just want Calgary to give him a reason to love the Flames, not just like them because I do.

Maybe I’m just too much of a Flames fan, but my boys 11 and 8 are Edmonton born and raised Flames fans. I have regaled them with stories of Iginla and Kiprusoff, to the point where they are fans of both Tij and Joe (on the Oil Kings) lol

So, I dunno if it’s the lack of star power on the Flames to blame, or just parenting skills… (green text, I’m honestly just kidding) haha

Here’s hoping Parekh can fulfill his potential and give them someone to cheer for on the Flames!

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Zero?

That doesn't seem over the top to you?

To be fair, without completely unsubstantiated hyperbole....what else is there?

[CochraneKurt]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I am excited about the Flames prospect pool as well and think they have had some strong recent drafts. It is one of the main reasons I feel a couple of years getting high picks and true game changing talent will be all they need before they are building back up to be a threat. I am just not sure they can do it without a couple picks in the top 5.

Originally Posted by theg69

Maybe I’m just too much of a Flames fan, but my boys 11 and 8 are Edmonton born and raised Flames fans. I have regaled them with stories of Iginla and Kiprusoff, to the point where they are fans of both Tij and Joe (on the Oil Kings) lol

So, I dunno if it’s the lack of star power on the Flames to blame, or just parenting skills… (green text, I’m honestly just kidding) haha

Here’s hoping Parekh can fulfill his potential and give them someone to cheer for on the Flames!

Oh I can definitely blame my parenting a bit here. I don't have a lot of nice things to say about being a fan of this franchise the last 15-20 years and I'm sure it's rubbing off on him as well. Watching Iginla, Kipper, JBo, Johnny, Monny...all gone for essentially nothing more than a bit of cap space has soured me. The lack of sustained success just is the cherry on top.