2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Bert]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s not something being sold. It was apparent in Colorado, it’s been apparent here, and players, coaches, management, and media have all spoken to it.

Just like you can’t predict someone will become a leader just because they get older, you can’t assume someone isn’t one just because they were a hothead when they were 25.

Marchand being a perfect example.

Crosby was a whiney beech too when he was younger. Safe to say that turned out ok

[dino7c]

have you guys ever met young AAA hockey players...they are all cocky asshats lol

[Roko]

Originally Posted by dino7c

have you guys ever met young AAA hockey players...they are all cocky asshats lol

Especially all the really good players too. I love that CP is learning people mature as they get older

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Bert

Marchand being a perfect example.

Crosby was a whiney beech too when he was younger. Safe to say that turned out ok

Who can forget the Gio vs. Kadri duel, culminating in Kadri getting suspended for making a throat slashing gesture.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by dieHARDflameZ

The Flames dressing room would definitely disagree with you on that. Kadri is absolutely seen as one of the most vocal and solid leaders in the room. That’s coming from people who actually know him.

Yeah, no disrespect to howard or Rhett, but when I’m looking for opinions on whether Kadri is a leader or not, I’m not going to guys who have admitted to not even watching the games, I’m going to quotes from guys who are in the room with him, including Pospisil, Zary, Huska, Conroy, Huberdeau, etc (not to mention former teammates like MacKinnon) who all have praised his leadership and mentorship.

I know some people don’t like having to back up an opinion, but some need to be when they’re so outweighed by people who actually know.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

I don’t buy Kadri as some amazing veteran leadership preference as to why the Flames are hanging on to him, personally. It’s the same guy who showed a lot of immaturity when Sutter was here, even though Sutter can grind on the best of personalities I’m sure. At other times in his career he’s faced criticisms on and off the ice when he was younger.

I think they’ve valued him because he’s a very good player, and there is still a struggle in the Flames org for how far to tear it down. And without him things get really bad, not to mention for the fanbase as you’d have almost no star power left.

Maybe, to me Sutter was far more immature than Kadri was but that is just my perspective.

[Demetric]

Maturity is not always linear or the same for everyone. Sometime it is like a bell curve and other times people never mature

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Bert

Marchand being a perfect example.

Crosby was a whiney beech too when he was younger. Safe to say that turned out ok

Crosby's reputation as a whiner was/is so overblown. The spotlight he had on him every night made it so much worse than it was and he legit had a really whiny little face. Like how some guys have little rat faces, Crosby's face just looked whiny when he was in his early 20s

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

Who can forget the Gio vs. Kadri duel, culminating in Kadri getting suspended for making a throat slashing gesture.

Was going to say, Kadri has obviously grown into this role. Hell, so did Gio, so did Crosby, so did Mackinnon, etc. etc.

[mile]

https://www.tsn.ca/chl/zayne-parekh-...ames-1.2261083

Growing up in Nobleton, Ont., one of his hockey heroes was Flames forward Nazem Kadri.

Kadri is one of the few Muslim players in the NHL and became the first Muslim player to win the Stanley Cup when the Colorado Avalanche won in 2022.

Parekh's parents are Canadian with backgrounds from India and South Korea and he views Kadri as a role model on how he can represent his family and his culture.

“He’s someone I always looked up to when I was growing up, “ said Parekh. “I have a picture with him when I was five or six years old. He’s one guy who’s been a really good figure for any kid looking to get into the game.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It is only a clear direction if they are doing exactly WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT IT. Everything else is a directionless log floating down a river.

What direction does there even need to be? Get good hockey players. Adjust the systems accordingly as seasons progress. Duh.

How many players do they still need to find?

F: Reschny, Gridin, Coronato, Klapka, Frost, Huberdeau, Zary, Honzek are pretty likely to be holding roster spots in the near future. Surely one of Potter, Basha, Kerins, Stromgren or Morton and the 2026 draft squad will potentially be one. We may see Farabee and Sharangovich out but if not that’s a pretty full lineup.

So you need to find 2/11 or fewer new forwards that can be higher end talent above or near the top of the other 9. (I say 11 because it’s never difficult to have a plethora of 12th forwards available almost all the time. Some on waivers. Some easily had for a 3rd or lower pick when you’re ready to start to trade in that direction again.)

D: Weegar, Parekh, Bahl, Kuznetsov, Brzustewicz

That looks like 5/6 pretty good D. Maybe you keep running Hanley/Pachal. Maybe you already drafted a player, or will this year that will join that group.

G: Wolf, Cooley

Better pick a direction at G. Too directionless.

I think it’s clear the ship has been steered for quite a while. The direction on Andersson, Coleman and Kadri is trade but you don’t fully control the when. Before UFA at the latest.

The performance of your already drafted players, acquisitions of these upcoming trades will help define how you upgrade on Sharangovich, Farabee, Lomberg and fill the eventual Backlund retirement.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Losing isn't bad to get a higher pick, but we also can see how it can impact the development of players.

Except that I do not think anybody in professional sports at any levels loses on purpose. Unless they see real upside in a transaction to trade a good player now for futures nobody is going to do deals just to lose, just to get a better draft pick.

[traptor]

Sometimes clearing out some of the older guys can let the next wave of guys grow into those senior roles more and let their voices be heard a bit more.

If you don't think the mid 20s guys like Bahl, Sharangovich, Frost, Klapka, Coronato Zary and Farabee are near-future leaders then you should be looking to move some of them and find some who are.

And if you move Kadri, Coleman and Andersson, it's not like you're leaving the group with no one. Huberdeau, Backlund and Weegar are all established vets with the group.

You can also always go find UFA character guys like Lomberg to support that key group of vets temporarily.

[gvitaly]

I think you can see a slow and steady regression in Kadri's game:
2023-24: 29G, 75P, 0, 0.91PPG
2024-25: 35G, 67P, -17, 0.82PPG
2025-26: 16G, 62P, -14, 0.76PPG (pace)

As I looked up Kadri's numbers I was surprised to see that he has a plus/minus of -50 in his 4 seasons with the Flames. I'm sure that empty net goals against played a part, but that's still not ideal.

Kadri is also a pretty streaky player, he can go invisible for a month and then carry the team on his back for a few weeks. One of the reasons I wouldn't mind moving Kadri is the prime icetime he gets, even when on a cold streak. This would give a young guy 3.5 mins of PP time per game, more favorable deployments in the offensive zone and so on.

I honestly don't see how Kadri could factor into the Flames' future contention window. So, I would much rather get something for Kadri now, than nothing in a year or two.

[Roko]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I think you can see a slow and steady regression in Kadri's game:
2023-24: 29G, 75P, 0, 0.91PPG
2024-25: 35G, 67P, -17, 0.82PPG
2025-26: 16G, 62P, -14, 0.76PPG (pace)

As I looked up Kadri's numbers I was surprised to see that he has a plus/minus of -50 in his 4 seasons with the Flames. I'm sure that empty net goals against played a part, but that's still not ideal.

Kadri is also a pretty streaky player, he can go invisible for a month and then carry the team on his back for a few weeks. One of the reasons I wouldn't mind moving Kadri is the prime icetime he gets, even when on a cold streak. This would give a young guy 3.5 mins of PP time per game, more favorable deployments in the offensive zone and so on.

I honestly don't see how Kadri could factor into the Flames' future contention window. So, I would much rather get something for Kadri now, than nothing in a year or two.

I fully agree. He has been a ghost since Christmas

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

I think you can see a slow and steady regression in Kadri's game:
2023-24: 29G, 75P, 0, 0.91PPG
2024-25: 35G, 67P, -17, 0.82PPG
2025-26: 16G, 62P, -14, 0.76PPG (pace)

As I looked up Kadri's numbers I was surprised to see that he has a plus/minus of -50 in his 4 seasons with the Flames. I'm sure that empty net goals against played a part, but that's still not ideal.

Kadri is also a pretty streaky player, he can go invisible for a month and then carry the team on his back for a few weeks. One of the reasons I wouldn't mind moving Kadri is the prime icetime he gets, even when on a cold streak. This would give a young guy 3.5 mins of PP time per game, more favorable deployments in the offensive zone and so on.

I honestly don't see how Kadri could factor into the Flames' future contention window. So, I would much rather get something for Kadri now, than nothing in a year or two.

Regression or decline of quality line mates?

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yeah, no disrespect to howard or Rhett, but when I’m looking for opinions on whether Kadri is a leader or not, I’m not going to guys who have admitted to not even watching the games, I’m going to quotes from guys who are in the room with him, including Pospisil, Zary, Huska, Conroy, Huberdeau, etc (not to mention former teammates like MacKinnon) who all have praised his leadership and mentorship.

I know some people don’t like having to back up an opinion, but some need to be when they’re so outweighed by people who actually know.

Always enjoy our exchanges. I'll cruise past your little personal jabs.

Kadri may very well be liked in the room. That is not why he's being kept around.

You want me to back up an opinion with fact. How about when the Flames President of Hockey Operations came on their broadcast (that I watched) and spit in the face of a rebuild? He stood on TV and told us winning the lottery is a fantasy, that they regretted trading their pending UFAs the past few years because they'd help them be more competitive now, and then blatantly lie about when Conroy signed his contract? We can call it a PR disaster, but I saw words that matched up (historically) with I've seen from this team for my 40 years as a fan.

I mean, we can say 'trust their actions and not their words' when it's convenient for a narrative I guess? They've told us they want to make the playoffs every year. We've heard from them regret for being unable to sign the players that have left. Other insiders have echoed this sentiment.

Moving Kadri now breaks the mold of how the Flames have operated. Their hand will need to be forced by him, or some ludicrous overprice, for them to move him. Not because he's an amazing leader. Because with him on the team, the Flames are more competitive.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Maybe, to me Sutter was far more immature than Kadri was but that is just my perspective.

I don't even disagree with this. Sutter doesn't work anymore, and his behaviors were inappropriate. I just didn't like Kadri's response.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think the leadership element is one dynamic, but another is what happens on the ice.
I'm still supportive of trading all of Kadri, Andersson and Coleman if the returns are there, but I think one has to factor in:
- Coleman/Backlund are stabilizing forces for whoever else is on that line. That's why guys constantly swap in there. Maybe that continues if it's just Backlund, or Backlund + Farabee but there is risk you lose that
- A team that trots out Morgan Frost as their #1 center could get destroyed pretty regularly including as Backlund starts to age, unless the fountain of youth that he's found this year continues. Now that may not be a bad thing, as it would drive the team down the standings next year (which is a pretty compelling draft) but I think if you make that move, you know that you are putting your team in a position to fail near-term. Again, that might be OK.

Losing isn't bad to get a higher pick, but we also can see how it can impact the development of players.

I think unquestionably moving your players who have significant roles will expose the roster and probably be difficult to navigate. To me, that's why you re-signed Backlund and Lomberg, and you have a coach in Huska that's perfectly suited to teach the younger players.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

This is a bona fide "first overall picking" type of rebuild year. It was by choice, it is happening, and we should all just relax and accept it, and instead argue about who should or shouldn't be picked with the Flames' pick and Vegas' pick. Franchise altering picks (plus more to come!). Tough to watch the losses, but this is going to set the franchise up nicely for a decade.

(also, good post C4L)

You're bang on with the 'tough to watch losses, but this is going to set the franchise up nicely for a decade', but it also brings in, at least in my experience anecdotally, more interest in the team locally when we draft and develop our own guys. The sense of a star being "our guy" is something this city loves. Jarome was "our" guy (via trade before NHL debut, but still). Johnny was "our guy".

This city needs a new "our guy", or better yet...a few of them.