2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by flambers

I think that would be difficult for the Flames

Given they have a serious lack of depth at center

Absolutely, but they might very well find themselves in a situation where Kadri gets traded and then Frost is a pending UFA who will be 28 when his next deal starts. Doesn't necessarily fit into the plans.

[flambers]

My guess one of them stays around for another couple of seasons

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

I'd love to have seen Kerins get an actual season at the NHL level to know definitively what we actually had in him, but we never got that.

Even though he may have never panned out, a regular roster spot this year for Kerins would've made more sense than a roster spot for Lomberg who doesn't do much and is already what he is.

I guess Calgary is letting him simmer in the AHL alot like Detroit used to do during the Dynasty. Contractwise management has handcuffed themselves with contract decisions. For instance we could have traded Frost last deadline for Futures instead of resigning him, maybe thats a sign of how management felt like they could make a playoff run this season or lack of confidence in Kerins at the time (last TDL).

Regarding your Lomberg comment, his contract ends this year and is pretty expensive for a 4th liner. I think we should trade him this deadline for a 3rd-5th round pick depending on his TDL value as a rental. Regarding Lomberg/Kerins I dont think thats a swap in the lineup unless you demoted someone to elevate Kerins into the top 9.

Edit: I just wanted to add that I hope we trade Whitecloud, similiar to the situation with Frost. Its the Sharangovich contract thats really hampering us in terms of blocking prospect development not Salary

[TheScorpion]

Well they weren't going to trade Frost a few weeks after they gave up a 2nd to get him. But I suspect this year's draft will be interesting on that front. If the Flames look to move him at that point he might be the most appealing centre available.

[JTech780]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Absolutely, but they might very well find themselves in a situation where Kadri gets traded and then Frost is a pending UFA who will be 28 when his next deal starts. Doesn't necessarily fit into the plans.

Might be part of the reason Basha went back to Medicine Hat to play center and see if that is a position he can play going forward.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I thought it was curious how Frost only extended for two years, afterwhich he will be a relatively young UFA.
You'd think they'd want more term on a young center.

I suspect to commit to term he wanted a lot higher AAV. Which I think was smart not to give him. He is a flashy guy but just doesn't produce consistently enough. Always seems like there should be more there. But maybe there just isn't.

So for now he's a stop gap.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

I'm not really of the school of thought that your 4th line need to be grinders and face punchers.

That's an outdated philosophy in today's nhl.

Kerins full time on the 4th line would've been fine. Because of his skill he would also give you an option to move into the top 9 if the team was struggling or needed another look.

Instead this already offensively-challenged team makes it harder for itself by having this nonsensical rule that highly skilled players belong only in the top 9.

Mind you the TOI would also need to be evened out some and that would probably be a whole separate issue.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I wouldn't be surprised if both Kadri and Frost are gone in a year.

I would be very surprised.

One? Seems likely. Both? Can't see it.

[The EBUG's EBUG]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Kerins seems like the new Matthew Phillips

Size aside I think the big difference that jumps out to me is that the natural window for Phillips to have gotten an extended shot at making the jump was roughly 2019 to 2023. Those years the Flames were generally speaking built to try and win immediately, with guys like Gaudreau/Tkachuk/etc on the team and playoff aspirations.

Much as it frustrated me that he didn't get a longer look, I do, to an extent, get that they were prioritizing different things in their bottom 6 and focused on winning games now, not wanting to use a roster spot on an undersized question mark. Unfortunate for Phillips that he was in a place where what he brought was already in somewhat of a surplus (until his final year but alas).

Alternatively, Kerins, an offensive player his whole career, a consistent PP producer, and a guy who was 61.8% on the dot in his final year in the OHL (can't find AHL FO% so grain of salt obviously but he's no stranger to taking draws), is not being given rope on a team that's:

1) 1 point up on 31st in the league;
2) 31st in goals for;
3) 30th in Power Play %
4) 21st in Faceoff % and,
3) Regularly playing older veterans on expiring contracts on the 4th line.

That feels like an environment that would make sense to give the kid a run and at least see what they have. If he's good? Then cool you have a guy you can play even if he's just a cheap stopgap. If he's bad? well we'll continue to be near the bottom in all the things listed above.

It's a really curious mindset to be so risk adverse in what is essentially a lost season already. I've made my peace with the fact that he's probably not going to get that chance in this organization so it is what it is. Curious what happens this offseason as he needs a new deal.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by JTech780

Might be part of the reason Basha went back to Medicine Hat to play center and see if that is a position he can play going forward.

I have been following the prospects thread a bit and he seems to be winning alot of draws and he seems to play well in big moments, I hope that translates to the NHL and we might have a Chris Drury type player. Havent really had a clutch player like that for awhile, Tkachuk with that between the legs GWG comes to mind

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by DJones

Chicago embarassed themselves with the blatant tank.

Chicago wasnt even in last place when they "tanked" for Bedard. They knocked the Pens out of the playoffs putting the Panthers in and hurt their lottery odds. They were 30th and got the lottery luck. Domi and Kane were traded at the deadline but were their leading scorers.

They won a lottery with an 11.5% chance. They basically had the same season the Flames are having now.

[Yanda]

They should have had to forfeit the Bedard pick anyways

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by The EBUG's EBUG

It's a really curious mindset to be so risk adverse in what is essentially a lost season already. I've made my peace with the fact that he's probably not going to get that chance in this organization so it is what it is. Curious what happens this offseason as he needs a new deal.

My guess is they just think he is too slow to be an NHLer. He’s either not putting in the training or he is and it’s still not improving.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Lottery odds should really be weighted by years since the last lottery win, with a cutoff at pick ten or something.

Those with none are naturally granted the highest possible odds.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Bonded

My guess is they just think he is too slow to be an NHLer. He’s either not putting in the training or he is and it’s still not improving.

Yeah, it’d be something if he was ready and they just weren’t giving anyone a shot, but guys have been passing him by pretty regularly.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I would be very surprised.

One? Seems likely. Both? Can't see it.

I think it would depend on a few things:
1. How well one of Zary, Pospisil, and Sharangovich plays as the #3C after you trade 1 of Kadri and Frost.
2. Your willingness and ability to sign a stopgap 3C in the UFA market: Roslovic, Poehling, Laughton, Sundqvist, Toews, Henrique, or Sissons.
3. The return on the trade. If you're getting a decent C, or C prospect back, similar to getting Whitecloud for Andersson. Maybe someone like Drury from COL, Bourque from DAL, or Roy from TOR.
4. The Flames' timeline for getting Reschny into the NHL.
5. Frost's desire to test the UFA market in 2027.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Bonded

My guess is they just think he is too slow to be an NHLer. He’s either not putting in the training or he is and it’s still not improving.

I thought his skating improved quite a bit in the off season. I always saw Kerins' game as being similar to Monahan. Not the fastest guy, but he goes to the front of the net, the puck follows him around, and he's pretty automatic at finishing those chances (at the AHL). He's also a very underrated passer.

I will keep beating that drum similar to Kuznetsov, at least until he gets a long look, or finds himself with another organization.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by The EBUG's EBUG

Size aside I think the big difference that jumps out to me is that the natural window for Phillips to have gotten an extended shot at making the jump was roughly 2019 to 2023. Those years the Flames were generally speaking built to try and win immediately, with guys like Gaudreau/Tkachuk/etc on the team and playoff aspirations.

Much as it frustrated me that he didn't get a longer look, I do, to an extent, get that they were prioritizing different things in their bottom 6 and focused on winning games now, not wanting to use a roster spot on an undersized question mark. Unfortunate for Phillips that he was in a place where what he brought was already in somewhat of a surplus (until his final year but alas).

Alternatively, Kerins, an offensive player his whole career, a consistent PP producer, and a guy who was 61.8% on the dot in his final year in the OHL (can't find AHL FO% so grain of salt obviously but he's no stranger to taking draws), is not being given rope on a team that's:

1) 1 point up on 31st in the league;
2) 31st in goals for;
3) 30th in Power Play %
4) 21st in Faceoff % and,
3) Regularly playing older veterans on expiring contracts on the 4th line.

That feels like an environment that would make sense to give the kid a run and at least see what they have. If he's good? Then cool you have a guy you can play even if he's just a cheap stopgap. If he's bad? well we'll continue to be near the bottom in all the things listed above.

It's a really curious mindset to be so risk adverse in what is essentially a lost season already. I've made my peace with the fact that he's probably not going to get that chance in this organization so it is what it is. Curious what happens this offseason as he needs a new deal.

That's because the Calgary Flames see themselves as a contender, and contenders don't use a lot of rookies because rookies make mistakes that cost wins.

[Sylvanfan]

Well by current logic of don't walk a player to UFA, Frost should be getting shopped pretty hard right now. At least that's going to be what people lament in about 12 months when they don't like the return after he is traded.

I doubt it's on the table now, but is he going to stay on a bad team if he's a UFA? Not looking like he's going to surpass 0 career playoff games once this deal is up unless the Flames trade him before next year's deadline.

[YyjFlames]

It’s probably been talked about but when Blake Coleman was traded to Tampa in 2020, he returned a late first rounder and Nolan Foote, who was a late first rounder the previous year, for two playoff runs.

He’s older now, but his game and production is similar, and he’d be traded this time as a two time Stanley cup champion, instrumental in both of those cups.

I don’t see why, with retention, he couldn’t return something similar or maybe a little less b/c of his age. There’s a reason 20 teams have called the flames about him.