2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Pellanor]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Of note, Pat says trading veterans was not in the Flames plan coming into the season. It wasn’t until two months ago the Flames began considering it.

I doesn't surprise me to hear that. Given last year's 96 point season and Wolf's play, they thought they were too good to bottom out and draft in the top 5. So to build a contender, they needed to maximize the development of the prospects we have. That meant keeping veterans around them to show them how to play the right way, and hopefully get meaningful games in, whether that's fighting for a bubble spot or even sneaking in. I feel that Frost and Farabee fit with this plan, letting them hand-off the veteran responsibility to them as Coleman, and Kadri get moved when their contracts expire.


I know a lot of people are disappointed to hear it was only two months ago that they began considering moving vets, but that's roughly American thanksgiving, a pretty common marker for determining how the season is going. They gave the team some time to see if they turn it around, but are now embracing the down season. I could still see them keeping the vets around if they want them for development next year, but they've at least been consistent with moving out expiring contracts. I think they would have moved Anderson even if we weren't bottoming out this season, but maybe closer to the deadline instead.


There's certainly an argument to be made that trading everybody as early as possible for better picks is the better plan. A lot of people expected to finish the year in the bottom 10, but not the bottom 5. Would getting a 5th instead of a 10th be worth losing the mentorship provided by the vets? I don't know. The team seems to think it's not, and their actions show me a focus on surrounding our prospects with players who can play the game right, in games that matter, with a goal of long term development.

[dissentowner]

I expect it will be pretty quiet until after the Olympic trade freeze, then there is going to be a serious arms race. Told it is going to be a great year to be selling.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I expect it will be pretty quiet until after the Olympic trade freeze, then there is going to be a serious arms race. Told it is going to be a great year to be selling.

That makes perfect sense. Andersson was a special case because he's actually going to the Olympics. For most players, there's no special incentive to trade them away before the break, and a benefit for the buyer to get them after the break.

One neat thing about being a seller this year is that the most obvious seller, Vancouver, is also saddled with a whole lot of long-term deals with trade restrictions. Winnipeg seems unlikely to tear it down: their goal differential suggests they're an average team with rotten luck, not a true bottom-feeder. Usually all the teams right at the bottom are motivated sellers; not this year.

[Otto-matic]

How funny would it be if this was all a ruse about the "two to tango" and Ras signed with the Flames in the summer for a team friendly deal.

[The Fonz]

I would not laugh

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I expect it will be pretty quiet until after the Olympic trade freeze, then there is going to be a serious arms race. Told it is going to be a great year to be selling.

Hopefully the Flames make use of it.

I’m never excited to hear “it’d take an overpay to acquire “X” because the Flames don’t need to move him”

I hope we see the Flames look at it and see “it’s smart to move the player now, because it aligns with our long term goals”.

I really hope the Flames assessment of this core has changed from where it was at the start of the season, and that they realize they’ve overvalued their current core and mis-assessed what they’re capable of…because good veteran cores don’t miss the playoffs 4-years in a row.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

This is just wrong. Everyone watching his stats and play knew he had generational potential. There were even plenty of people on this board who wanted to start the tank for him specifically.

I thought Bedard would be better but both looked like world beaters pre draft. They are paying out now.

Gavin is of the same make imo.

I know he was the unanimous first overall pick throughout the entirety of his draft year, but I don't recall Celebrini having anywhere near the hype that Bedard did.

In fact, I'd bet the pace he's on this season (43 goals, 82 assists, 125 points) blows 99.999% of the projections people had during his draft year for his career best season, let alone sophomore season.

Absolutely incredible play and story, but nobody expected this of Celebrini so quickly and at such an incredible rate.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

It'll come. They are clearly rebuilding, it's not even debateable. The cap space alone confirms it. We need to add some more top tier talent up front that can contribute heavily on ELCs, and then fill in the rest using our cap space. But securing the elite #1 d-man and number 1 goalie appear to be locked in. An elite center and we are away to the races.

An elite goalie and elite #1 defensemen are not even close to locked in, lol. And a #1 elite center to be "off to the races" would likely take a few seasons finishing bottom three in the NHL to have any realistic chance at getting one.

[cam_calderon]

Parekh might top out as a 1D but there is so much growth he needs before he's even close. To claim it is already locked in, while the club are scared to play him and he is such an easy target for every forecheck, is absurd.

We have the goalie but my biggest fear is he turns into Markstrom in the playoffs. He's a genuine starter in the regular season, he's proved that.

[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

It's more a mindset thing than anything else. Leadership wants to set a high standard, and hold people to it. Same approach for the Stamps, to be fair.

Coming out and saying we expect to be bad, and are willing to tolerate mediocrity, sends the wrong message and instills the wrong culture.

At some point the Flames will accumulate enough skilled players that their work ethic paired with their talent and culture will result in good things on the ice.

Until then, we can control the culture of the club by instilling the right values from the top. Culture is a critical thing, and it can be lost easily if the wrong standards are allowed to persist - and then you end up with the entitled mess we see three hours north.

It'll come. They are clearly rebuilding, it's not even debateable. The cap space alone confirms it. We need to add some more top tier talent up front that can contribute heavily on ELCs, and then fill in the rest using our cap space. But securing the elite #1 d-man and number 1 goalie appear to be locked in. An elite center and we are away to the races.

Kind of a questionable hill to die on considering the amount of "success" we've had with this culture over the last few decades. And entitlement or not, stupid draft luck or not, the dinks in Shelbyville have had a lot more postseason success than we have.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by cam_calderon

Parekh might top out as a 1D but there is so much growth he needs before he's even close. To claim it is already locked in, while the club are scared to play him and he is such an easy target for every forecheck, is absurd.

We have the goalie but my biggest fear is he turns into Markstrom in the playoffs. He's a genuine starter in the regular season, he's proved that.

Has Wolf proven to be an elite goalie? That would be a consistent top 5 goalie pretty much every year. At the end of the day, he's been a pretty much average goalie in the NHL at best. He was pretty good last year, but below average this year. I expect he'll be an NHL regular, but how good is certainly up in the air.

[CliffFletcher]

The way you build a contender is through an elite core.

The most likely way to build an elite core is through drafting at the top of the draft over multiple seasons.

It’s very hard to finish bottom-five in the NHL over multiple seasons without deliberately tanking.

It’s the cycle of the NHL. To rise to the top you first need to plunge to the bottom. Not accidentally or reluctantly for a season or two - deliberately for 4 or 5 seasons. And drafting 9th or 12th won’t cut it. A player like Coronato is a depth piece on a contender, not a core piece.

Look at the young cores of San Jose, Chicago, and Anaheim. Do they look like they were damaged by not having enough core veterans on the roster 4 or 5 seasons ago? Even the Sabres (12th overall) and Wings (6th overall) have turned things around.

Tanking works. Not always, but reliably enough that it’s your best odds of building an elite core.

[Erick Estrada]

A big key in rebuilding is patience as rebuilds are not linear. A quality core of highly drafted prospects may take years for the ingredients to come together as there's going to be ups and downs. Head coach is also an important ingredient as the Sabres, Senators, Hawks have done a pretty poor job of identifying good coaches as did the Wings, and Ducks until recently when they finally hired competent head coaches.

[Flamesfan05]

I can’t imagine the wizard sitting there doing nothing while his Leafs are floundering.

Another sell and run coming?

Kadri, Coleman, Weegar?

[Royle9]

I was told this morning there's still a ton of calls coming into CGY.
If the Flames want to make more moves, there's dance partners out there.

[Mr.Coffee]

Then what’s the hold up?

[Two Fivenagame]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Then what’s the hold up?

The offers aren't good enough.

[Toonage]

Its funny to think teams would waste their time calling the Flames only to be like 'look we'll give you a 4th and a 5th for Kadri if you retain half"

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Two Fivenagame

The offers aren't good enough.

or NTCs/NMCs...


I will be happy if two of Whitecloud, Coleman, Kadri, and Frost are traded this deadline.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Its funny to think teams would waste their time calling the Flames only to be like 'look we'll give you a 4th and a 5th for Kadri if you retain half"

Never hurts to try a low bid once lol