2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Inferno

I doubt an extra 4th is what's delaying Conroy from making a deal.

They're also third worst right now with all three players still on the team and playing like they did at the start of the season.

3rd’s not good enough.

Risks drafting 5th overall.

Need bottom 2.

Management should put their hand on the scale, help the way they can. Hope they do.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

3rd’s not good enough.

Risks drafting 5th overall.

Need bottom 2.

Even if they finish third last they can still get in the bottom 2. There's this thing called a draft lottery.

They're not locked into third last either for the rest of the season.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Even if they finish third last they can still get in the bottom 2. There's this thing called a draft lottery.

They're not locked into third last either for the rest of the season.

If you are in the bottom 2 the worst you can draft is 4th in a draft where there are currently 4 prospects at the top. Third last could result in the 5th overall pick.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Max value better be max friggin value then.

Losing out on McKenna/Stenberg/Lawrence/Verhoeff to scratch up an extra 4th round pick just ain’t the ticket.

If she doesn’t go before the Olympic break, that delay better be worth a massive return because the negative impact on draft position odds could be no less than [dramatic pause] catastrophic.

Sean Monahan or Nathan MacKinnon in terms of skill-gap (not actual ceilings).

Difference between Sasha Barkov and Darnell Nurse.

Margins or so slim, that any delay in action better be stinkin’ worth it.

Go through a year like this and come out the wash with a friggin’ Jake Virtanen rather than a Leon Draisaitl.

What if we end up with Nolan Patrick instead of Nick Suzuki. That would also be catastrophic.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Even if they finish third last they can still get in the bottom 2. There's this thing called a draft lottery.

They're not locked into third last either for the rest of the season.

Clearly know the draft lottery, that’s why I say it risks drafting 5th (dropping two spots in the lottery).

All I’m saying is that’s the risk they’re managing now. That extra squeeze in return has to be worth it, because the risk being incurred on the flip side is getting Jake flippin’ Virtanen’d.

We’ll see how it plays out. Flames make trades closer to the deadline, and miss out on the best players by razor thin margins? Well, that’s on management’s decision to hold until later. All good, but this sort of thing strikes me as the difference (this season) between locking in a stud, or a riskier roll.

[Rhett44]

Eric Francis "the hockey gods are speaking, keep dancing with the devil and at some point you're going to get burned".

Basically alluding to the fact the Flames need to make a trade now, and stop waiting until Rasmus gets potentially injured. One of the rare times I agree with Eric Francis, despite some people on here down playing the injury risk.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

If you are in the bottom 2 the worst you can draft is 4th in a draft where there are currently 4 prospects at the top. Third last could result in the 5th overall pick.

Ok? They could also move up.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

What if we end up with Nolan Patrick instead of Nick Suzuki. That would also be catastrophic.

Yep. Surefire way to never be good is to be incompetent.

Just arguing for the draft position opportunity. If they get the opportunity and mess it up, that’s on them. If they don’t get the draft opportunity in the first place? Well, I guess I’m saying in this situation, in this whacky season, that’s also on them.

Crunch time.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Never mind I’m dumb.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Yep. Surefire way to never be good is to be incompetent.

Just arguing for the draft position opportunity. If they get the opportunity and mess it up, that’s on them. If they don’t get the draft opportunity in the first place? Well, I guess I’m saying in this situation, in this whacky season, that’s also on them.

Crunch time.

It is nowhere near crunch time. Crunch time is whenever Conroy has to make the trade or trades with any of his tradable assets.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

It is nowhere near crunch time. Crunch time is whenever Conroy has to make the trade or trades with any of his tradable assets.

I would disagree, I think with the injury risk it should be crunch time. You have had months to put Rasmus on the market. Figure this out.

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Teams are very hesitant to put their best offers on players right now, especially in regards to Andersson as he is an injury risk at the Olympics.

Everyone is a injury risk at the Olympics at this point.

[Flamesfan05]

The only acceptable reason not to trade Andersson is if there is no reasonable offer

That’s about the only one

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

I would disagree, I think with the injury risk it should be crunch time. You have had months to put Rasmus on the market. Figure this out.

Your whole schtick for months now has been the return does not matter, just as long as they are bad. They are currently bad, presumably if they trade him they will be bad and if he gets injured they will be bad. Why does the ability to get a return for him matter so much more now than it did when they were winning?

For me maximum return for any of the assets is the key objective

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

The only acceptable reason not to trade Andersson is if there is no reasonable offer

That’s about the only one

And we don't know what the offers are. Maybe he was offered future considerations for Rasmus. Or maybe he was offered three 1sts and wants a fourth.

We have no idea. Obviously 2 extremes but you get the point.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

The only acceptable reason not to trade Andersson is if there is no reasonable offer

That’s about the only one

That is almost certainly the case. I am sure Conroy will trade him when his price is met.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Clearly know the draft lottery, that’s why I say it risks drafting 5th (dropping two spots in the lottery).

All I’m saying is that’s the risk they’re managing now. That extra squeeze in return has to be worth it, because the risk being incurred on the flip side is getting Jake flippin’ Virtanen’d.

We’ll see how it plays out. Flames make trades closer to the deadline, and miss out on the best players by razor thin margins? Well, that’s on management’s decision to hold until later. All good, but this sort of thing strikes me as the difference (this season) between locking in a stud, or a riskier roll.

There's a risk but they also shouldn't be settling for lesser return because part of the fanbase is paranoid of not finishing in a spot they might end up finishing in anyway.

If Conroy gets an offer he likes (it doesn't have to be an overpay) and doesn't think will get better before the deadline then he should take it. If he feels like he can do better or teams are offering prospects or young players that he's not really interested in then he shouldn't.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Your whole schtick for months now has been the return does not matter, just as long as they are bad. They are currently bad, presumably if they trade him they will be bad and if he gets injured they will be bad. Why does the ability to get a return for him matter so much more now than it did when they were winning?

For me maximum return for any of the assets is the key objective

Coleman got hurt last game. Rasmus has blocked shots the last 2 games and had injury scares. It is time to accept a deal.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

And we don't know what the offers are. Maybe he was offered future considerations for Rasmus. Or maybe he was offered three 1st and wants a fourth.

We have no idea. Obviously 2 extremes but you get the point.

I get that

But the logical assumption is he didn’t get a reasonable offer

As far as I know, Conroy is not dumb

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

I get that

But the logical assumption is he didn’t get a reasonable offer

As far as I know, Conroy is not dumb

One would have to assume he’s dumb if he got the offer he wanted and did not pull the trigger. I am on team “Conroy ain’t dumb”. Maybe we need a poll to see what folks think.