2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Except a player getting 60points getting 1st line playing time and 1st PP time is nit oarticulary good, and neither is his team.

And Huberdeau has been a 60 point player on Calgary once in 4 seasons. And he’s not getting any younger.

He hasn't been getting either first line or PP1 lately (last night he was on PP1 for the first time in several games, and they scored).

[blankall]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

Except a player getting 60points getting 1st line playing time and 1st PP time is nit oarticulary good, and neither is his team.

And Huberdeau has been a 60 point player on Calgary once in 4 seasons. And he’s not getting any younger.

Calgary has been pretty bad throughout Huberdeau's tenure here. Calgary should, theoretically, have enough depth in the future to have a solid middle six and second unit PP, making the top line minutes not a necessity for a player to hit 60 points.

I do think you obviously have a point about Huberdeau not getting younger. If he regresses he becomes a total waste of roster and cap space.

[WickerChicken]

There’s been a lot of good discussion about who we might trade and what we’d get back.

I’d love to hear who people think we should target if Conroy decides to flip some of our draft capital into young impact players.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by WickerChicken

There’s been a lot of good discussion about who we might trade and what we’d get back.

I’d love to hear who people think we should target if Conroy decides to flip some of our draft capital into young impact players.

We should not do that at this time, unless it is a lopsided trade in our favour, which I cannot even invent as an idea.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing

We should not do that at this time, unless it is a lopsided trade in our favour, which I cannot even invent as an idea.

I was going to say someone we don’t know who is on the market yet.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Royle9

The short answer is its complicated.
Flexibility is the the one word answer I got when I asked about that scenario shortly after the trade happened.

The Flames are obviously very high on him, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record and triggering some of us here including myself, management and ownership LOVE when someone is happy to be here and wants to be apart of a rebiggle.

However, to break it down further from what I've heard, they wouldn't rule out trading him for the right price/offer if someone steps up and sends one. There's lots of interest, but I think right now nobody has tabled anything worth what they'd be willing to give up Zach for. With that said, I think they would explore moving a Hanley or Pachal with the offers out there right now instead.

Love it or hate it, Craig values guys who want to be here and share in his vision for what he wants the Flames to be. So when he makes a trade for a guy who then comes out and is excited to be apart of this team, I think it muddles up the water a bit, but doesn't completely rule it out. If a team steps up and offers a late 1st or something then I think he pulls the trigger.

Little bit off topic, but I will add that the Flames don't appear to be chasing that Maloney "salvage the year" mode idea any more, I think the writing is finally on the wall.

I'm okay with this. They don't have to flip Whitecloud if they like him and think he's a good mentor for the kids, but use that flexibility to trade some of the other D.

[Yeah_Baby]

Yeah, I think they have to move one RHD. My money is on Pachal. He's been solid when he's in the line up, but the poor guy can't get in enough.

They'll wanna find a place for him to play, I'd wager.

[Matty81]

Am in the same boat re: not feeling like it's a big deal if they don't flip Whitecloud. It's not like there are a bunch of dmen kicking in the door. You make space for Parekh by flipping Hanley for whatever you can get just to get rid of him and open up the spot and I am happy - move Weegar back to the left. Parekh, Bru and Kuznetsov are all 3 young guys getting minutes and learning their trade then, it's a nice balance with veterans in Bahl, Whitecloud and Weegar, and Bahl's not exactly an old man either. Pachal or some other 7th dman with some toughness and that's a pretty good look for a d corps of a rebuilding team, far from scorched earth but young enough that they could still be around to help us when we get a couple higher picks and bring in some talent up front.

I'd be more concerned if they fail to move out some forwards. Not only are some of the older guys declining assets value wise but the group as a whole is just a bit too saturated with guys whose prime development years are past, it's clogged up with too many mediocre players and I don't see much upside, or excitement for the fans watching this group as it is. And a few guys down on the farm in Gridin, Stromgren and Morton (and kind of Honzek when he's back, though he's obviously been hurt) who feel like they should be getting an extended look to see what we have now.

[Monahammer]

Farabee is a perfect example of mid lineup forward that we could easily replace with prospect/farm talent. Unfortunately, he is probably basically worthless. Ditto Frost.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Am in the same boat re: not feeling like it's a big deal if they don't flip Whitecloud. It's not like there are a bunch of dmen kicking in the door. You make space for Parekh by flipping Hanley for whatever you can get just to get rid of him and open up the spot and I am happy - move Weegar back to the left. Parekh, Bru and Kuznetsov are all 3 young guys getting minutes and learning their trade then, it's a nice balance with veterans in Bahl, Whitecloud and Weegar, and Bahl's not exactly an old man either. Pachal or some other 7th dman with some toughness and that's a pretty good look for a d corps of a rebuilding team, far from scorched earth but young enough that they could still be around to help us when we get a couple higher picks and bring in some talent up front.

I'd be more concerned if they fail to move out some forwards. Not only are some of the older guys declining assets value wise but the group as a whole is just a bit too saturated with guys whose prime development years are past, it's clogged up with too many mediocre players and I don't see much upside, or excitement for the fans watching this group as it is. And a few guys down on the farm in Gridin, Stromgren and Morton (and kind of Honzek when he's back, though he's obviously been hurt) who feel like they should be getting an extended look to see what we have now.

He's also cheap enough that he'll have value even if his game falls off with his 'reliable vet' +'Cup winner' intangibles.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Farabee is a perfect example of mid lineup forward that we could easily replace with prospect/farm talent. Unfortunately, he is probably basically worthless. Ditto Frost.

I like Farabee to replace Coleman's role assuming they move him.
Similarly you probably keep Frost if you have any thought to move Kadri.

By next deadline if Kadri is still here then I think you look at moving Frost at the deadline.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

He's also cheap enough that he'll have value even if his game falls off with his 'reliable vet' +'Cup winner' intangibles.

Totally agree, and I know it's been leaned on a bit heavily as an excuse for flames mgmt not having moved towards the rebuild quickly enough, but you truly do need some veteran presence and what I see of his personality so far as a leader and mentor I like, he seems calm and mature. Keeping him and Weegar to help the kids along makes sense. He's a guy I'd be fine with them re-signing even if the deal is reasonable.

I guess with where the flames are at if someone kicks in the door and blows you away you take the assets though but in this day and age in the NHL you really don't see a lot of massive overpays

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Yeah, I think they have to move one RHD. My money is on Pachal. He's been solid when he's in the line up, but the poor guy can't get in enough.

They'll wanna find a place for him to play, I'd wager.

Pachal struggled last game he was in. I think Hanley is a much better defenceman and way more steady to pair with a rookie.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

That's the only reason.

There are other reasons, I think.

He’s going to be taking a roster spot. As it stands, the Flames have an abundance of LH wingers. Sure, not all of them pan out but between Zary, Gridin, Honzek, Farabee, Basha, Battaglia, Wyttenbach, and whoever else they add over the next 2-3 years the pressure to move on will only increase.

I think we’re two years away from Huberdeau being in the bottom 6 LW spot. Another year or two after that he could be the 13th forward. Hell, if the Flames end up with Stenberg or McKenna, he could be a bottom 6 LW by the end of next year.

There’s more reasons than financial to start planning ahead.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by TOfan

There are other reasons, I think.

He’s going to be taking a roster spot. As it stands, the Flames have an abundance of LH wingers. Sure, not all of them pan out but between Zary, Gridin, Honzek, Farabee, Basha, Battaglia, Wyttenbach, and whoever else they add over the next 2-3 years the pressure to move on will only increase.

I think we’re two years away from Huberdeau being in the bottom 6 LW spot. Another year or two after that he could be the 13th forward. Hell, if the Flames end up with Stenberg or McKenna, he could be a bottom 6 LW by the end of next year.

There’s more reasons the financial to start planning ahead.

The roster spot is the "only reason" I was talking about.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

He's also cheap enough that he'll have value even if his game falls off with his 'reliable vet' +'Cup winner' intangibles.

Plus, if they move some or all of Kadri, Coleman, Lomberg, and Pachal, the "Cup winner" category gets a lot smaller.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I like Farabee to replace Coleman's role assuming they move him.
Similarly you probably keep Frost if you have any thought to move Kadri.

By next deadline if Kadri is still here then I think you look at moving Frost at the deadline.

Why try and wedge Farabee into Coleman's role, when you could have Stromgren or Kerins do it? Is Farabee really that much better than either

Frost, maybe... But I think Kerins would do just as well.

Their value is questionable, I don't think either gets us much of anything in a trade, but why make a big deal of holding on to them at all?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Why try and wedge Farabee into Coleman's role, when you could have Stromgren or Kerins do it? Is Farabee really that much better than either

Frost, maybe... But I think Kerins would do just as well.

Their value is questionable, I don't think either gets us much of anything in a trade, but why make a big deal of holding on to them at all?

Well, yes, he is. Stromgren is way slower - which means he can't check the opposition effectively like Coleman or Farabee. And neither can Kerins. Farabee is snakebit but he is in scoring position a lot, and he is a very good defensive player.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Why try and wedge Farabee into Coleman's role, when you could have Stromgren or Kerins do it? Is Farabee really that much better than either

Frost, maybe... But I think Kerins would do just as well.

Their value is questionable, I don't think either gets us much of anything in a trade, but why make a big deal of holding on to them at all?

I don't think Bill or Kerins are NHL players at all unfortunately.

[united]

A couple weeks since last update from The Athletic's model that simulates the remainder of the season 50,000 times.

Median finish: 31st place with 72 points, 7 points ahead of the Canucks and 3 behind the Blackhawks, with the Blues and Kraken also forecasted to finish with fewer than 80 points.

Pick first: 13% of simulated seasons
Pick top five: 81% of simulated seasons
Pick top ten: 99% of simulated seasons
Make playoffs: 1% of simulated seasons (92 points to get in)

Originally Posted by united

The Blackhawks and Kraken are both a perfect 4-0 in 2026 while the Flames have yet to earn one point. And just like that, a massive swing. As the season progresses and the range of outcomes reduces, larger swings will become regular and more prevalent. Hilariously, the projected threshold to qualify for the playoffs is down to 84 points in the West (likely to moderately increase as games tighten down the stretch)

Median finish: 32nd place with 74 points, 1 point behind the Canucks and 2 behind the Blackhawks. The Kraken and Blues are also projected to finish with fewer than 80 points.

Pick first: 13% of simulated seasons
Pick top five: 70% of simulated seasons
Pick top ten: 93% of simulated seasons
Make playoffs: 4% of simulated seasons (84 points to get in)