2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Roko]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

They are not clinging to PO hope.

They are letting the team play, looking for ways to improve it that line up with their plan, and hoping for POs.

And not because Murray needs the money, but because it would be fun.

Remember fun?

I have a lot of fun rooting on Parekh, and the younger players improving. Love rooting Wolf on. Loved watching Gaudreau Tkachuk Monahan lighting it up.

Not interested in getting attached to old players who play dead puck boring hockey. I would much prefer a fun exciting sharks team type flames squad.

[Super-Rye]

Originally Posted by Roko

Edwards, Maloney, Nonis, possibly Conroy, etc. Also a very vocal group of CP posters.

I have seen exactly 0 posters on this site "clinging to playoff hope" that's just you distorting people's words and opinions to create some imagined bull#### narrative.

There IS a very vocal group on CP and in Calgary right now, but it's not the playoff crowd that's for sure.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Zero?

That doesn't seem over the top to you?

Yeah, it’s probably a bit over the top. Apologies. Little respect.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

It does get awkward though when someone just makes stuff up either about the Flames or about what posters allegedly said and then you challenge it. Often just leads to silence from the person making things up but to challenge these mistruths can appear acrimonious when apparently one should just allow folks to make up whatever they want.

This happens from both sides.

I have said before I would rather have traded Kadri a couple months ago for a 1st than waiting on a 1st and a prospect at the deadline. And then suddenly certain posters will say that I want to trade Kadri for a 5th round pick, at any cost NOW. And that I want to trade every player to tank including Wolf and Parekh when I have only said him and Coleman and Andersson.

Both sides exaggerate things like crazy at times. Myself included.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Roko

I have a lot of fun rooting on Parekh, and the younger players improving. Love rooting Wolf on. Loved watching Gaudreau Tkachuk Monahan lighting it up.

Not interested in getting attached to old players who play dead puck boring hockey. I would much prefer a fun exciting sharks team type flames squad.

Yes, that boring Kadri playing style.

Huberdeau and Weegar never take risks.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Yes, that boring Kadri playing style.

Huberdeau and Weegar never take risks.

There are very few fans who are going to a Flames game specifically to watch Kadri or Huberdeau.

The main selling point right now is Wolf, and obviously Parekh when he plays.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

There are very few fans who are going to a Flames game specifically to watch Kadri or Huberdeau.

The main selling point right now is Wolf, and obviously Parekh when he plays.

Sure, but that's a different point. I was talking about this "veterans playing safe boring hockey" notion and asking who it applies to - which players exactly? Not those guys. Not Rasmus. Coleman? Backlund? Lomberg? Frost? I wouldn't describe it for those guys either.

I'd say Hanley plays boring hockey, but only as a complement.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Sure, but that's a different point. I was talking about this "veterans playing safe boring hockey" notion and asking who it applies to - which players exactly? Not those guys. Not Rasmus. Coleman? Backlund? Lomberg? Frost? I wouldn't describe it for those guys either.

I'd say Hanley plays boring hockey, but only as a complement.

I mean I see the boring hockey as more of a coaching thing. But it has been very effective.

You play very low event hockey and don't give up a lot of chances. And rely on your goalie to be the better goalie on the night, when there are a few chances each way.

I absolutely hate the system, but it is clearly working.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I mean I see the boring hockey as more of a coaching thing. But it has been very effective.

You play very low event hockey and don't give up a lot of chances. And rely on your goalie to be the better goalie on the night, when there are a few chances each way.

I absolutely hate the system, but it is clearly working.

It may be coaching, it may be talent level. But it's not because veteran players play a boring style. Which player on the team plays the least boring style? It's probably Kadri.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Well anybody with a strong opinion gets chewed out immediately most of the time. So if the goal is community growth, maybe we need to work on our tolerance for fans of all philosophies. Even if they want to burn the whole thing down for picks.

The new posters I've noticed have been in that corner, but they're treated like trolls because they don't provide the homework to support their position that the regulars expect.

I think the best thing to do is posts lists of fellow posters’ strong opinions so you can shame them. Almost like a wall of some kind.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It may be coaching, it may be talent level. But it's not because veteran players play a boring style. Which player on the team plays the least boring style? It's probably Kadri.

I have no idea, probably Kadri and Andersson. And Zary before he got hurt last year.

[1qqaaz]

Is there even any correlation between average average attendance?

These were the Flames' worst recent seasons:
2012-2013 (picked Monahan 6th) - 19,289
2013-2014 (picked Bennett 4th) - 19,302
2015-2016 (picked Tkachuk 6th) - 19,146

The Flames 4 most recent seasons
2022-2023 - 17,956
2023-2024 - 17,501 (picked Parekh 8th overall)
2024-2025 - 17,655 (finished with 96 points)
2025-2026 - 17,477

There appears to be almost no correlation whatsoever between team success and ticket sales. Rather, ticket sales are probably dictated by larger surrounding factors: cost, how Gen Z and millennials spend money, the building, and perhaps prolonged general apathy.

Anecdotally, almost no younger people that I've seen would identify as hardcore Flames fans.
They haven't had anything to get excited about for as long as they can remember. They're more interested in Celebrini than they are with their own team.

[MacFlame]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It may be coaching, it may be talent level. But it's not because veteran players play a boring style. Which player on the team plays the least boring style? It's probably Kadri.

Its talent imo.

I think a better, more skilled powerplay would do a lot to address the "boring style" narrative. They just cant move the puck fast enough or have the ability to stick handle their way out of trouble, which makes the pp slow, predictable and ineffective.

They have two players coming that will help with that and I'm sure they add a couple more in the next year or so.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

This happens from both sides.

I have said before I would rather have traded Kadri a couple months ago for a 1st than waiting on a 1st and a prospect at the deadline. And then suddenly certain posters will say that I want to trade Kadri for a 5th round pick, at any cost NOW. And that I want to trade every player to tank including Wolf and Parekh when I have only said him and Coleman and Andersson.

Both sides exaggerate things like crazy at times. Myself included.

But you are fine with not trading Kadri if there is not a first on the table, is that correct?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm entitled to challenge an opinion I think is flawed. Why does one "side" get to do that but not the other?

I don’t decide what you are entitled to do. And I’m getting tired of the whose side you’re on debate.

I’m just saying that someone expressing their feelings about the team doesn’t mean that they are “challenging” your opinion. A lot of posts are people just saying things. They are not quoting or referencing other posters. It might appear totally wrong to you, I get that. But the effect is a few people arguing the same things over and over again.

[Badgers Nose]

Exciting hockey tends to be what others would call East West hockey - something the Flames system does not promote.

But there are lots of players on this team that can play that way - and often people here get mad when they do because it is high risk.

Hudy, Kadri, Sharky, Frost, Zary, Coronato, Klapka, Popsicle - all guys that can play that way, although it's debatable whether they should as only a few have elite skill. All of these guys have adjusted to play a low event team game.

It seems the more they play the team game, the better the results and the inverse is true when they don't.

So maybe we want exciting. Huska wants employment and a long NHL coaching career, so we get low event.

When we have more talent, I don't think the style will be as oppressive.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

We’re the 13th oldest team in the league (at 28.8 years) if you weight it by TOI and have been that exact same age for the first 40 games of the past two years. Outside of kuznetsov and maybe Klapka we’re not really relying on any younger players more than last season.

We should add Bruz to that I suppose.

I haven’t seen that weighted TOI stat before. I imagine Wolf helps it alot.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

But you are fine with not trading Kadri if there is not a first on the table, is that correct?

When did I say that? It is pointless to even argue this because multiple insiders have said Kadri is worth a lot if you trade him today.

[Aarongavey]

I wonder if Flames fans would do Coleman at 50% retained and the Flames 2028 4th to the Oilers for their 2028 1st and Isaac Howard. Seems like it would be a fair trade, probably helps the Flames draft position and it would hurt the Vegas pick.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Bingo

That's not trying to get better.

They’re not trying to get better.

They’re also not deliberately trying to finish bottom of the league.

Whenever anyone wants to talk about the second point, people bring up the first.

If people don’t want to talk about the second point, that’s cool. But no need to misrepresent the stance of the people who do.