2025/2026 Season Trade Rumours and Speculation Thread

[Flamescuprun2018]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Consider this

Edmonton drafted Hall Nuge and Yakupov first overall 2010-2012 over 3 consecutive drafts.

This is before the draft lottery rule came into place where you can’t win the lottery in consecutive years.

It will take a lot of luck and smarts to get back to playoff contention using the traditional rebuild model (tanking and selling everything).

We better be prepared for a lot of pain

I really feel this started over 2 years ago so we have endured some of the pain already. This is year 4 out of playoffs after all.

I will take the glass half full approach and say:

We appear to have a stellar Goalie Dept with 2 quality goaltenders already on roster and at least 2 intriguing prospects in system. How many rebuilds ahead of us have a Calder finalist goalie as their 1G starter and a backup who is top 3 in league stats?

On Monday we may be icing our future top 4 D core with Parekh added. How many rebuilds who are years ahead of us in their start could say that?

I really like how Conroy (by chance, luck or plan) has rebuilt correctly from the backend first. As it always takes longer for your 1G and top 4D to develop. Wolf, Parekh, Brz, Kuz, Bahl need a couple more seasons to develop. Fortunately they have that luxury since our forward core group is not even here or drafted yet.

We will endure great pain for rest of this year and next but do feel we will have young and fun to watch team when we open the new barn. They may not compete for a playoff spot but several pieces of the new core will be wearing Flaming C jerseys and hope/anticipation will be on the rise.

All eyes should now be on acquiring high end blue chip C/W prospects through the next 2-3 drafts. What Conroy does with Kadri, Coleman, Weegar trades will go some of the way to accelerating such. Lottery ball luck and Wyttenbach like scouting will do the rest.

[scotty2hotty]

^^^

I like the cut of your jib

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Flamescuprun2018

I really feel this started over 2 years ago so we have endured some of the pain already. This is year 4 out of playoffs after all.

I will take the glass half full approach and say:

We appear to have a stellar Goalie Dept with 2 quality goaltenders already on roster and at least 2 intriguing prospects in system. How many rebuilds ahead of us have a Calder finalist goalie as their 1G starter and a backup who is top 3 in league stats?

On Monday we may be icing our future top 4 D core with Parekh added. How many rebuilds who are years ahead of us in their start could say that?

I really like how Conroy (by chance, luck or plan) has rebuilt correctly from the backend first. As it always takes longer for your 1G and top 4D to develop. Wolf, Parekh, Brz, Kuz, Bahl need a couple more seasons to develop. Fortunately they have that luxury since our forward core group is not even here or drafted yet.

We will endure great pain for rest of this year and next but do feel we will have young and fun to watch team when we open the new barn. They may not compete for a playoff spot but several pieces of the new core will be wearing Flaming C jerseys and hope/anticipation will be on the rise.

All eyes should now be on acquiring high end blue chip C/W prospects through the next 2-3 drafts. What Conroy does with Kadri, Coleman, Weegar trades will go some of the way to accelerating such. Lottery ball luck and Wyttenbach like scouting will do the rest.

Agree with so much of this.

To me speed of rebuild goes into finding centers. If we can trade for one that speeds up the timeline immensely but who is trading a possible top line center? Trade Kadri and one of Weegar, Whitecloud, Coleman and gain further assets to trade for one.

Guesswork asside i think Conroy has been looking for that elusive trade i just think no one is giving ine up without a huge overpay. So back to the draft.

Leaves drafting them and a longer timeline.

[Harry Lime]

In terms of prospects and set pieces....

I like the goalies, Wolf and Cooley
I like the defense, weegar, whitecloud, bruz, parekh, kuz, ball
I like the top four wing, coronato, gridin, basha
I like the bottom fours wing, klapka, suniev, honzek
I like the 2 3 4 center, zary reschny, Cullen

Through draft, trade or ufa, I only see a top center and top wing and then some marinating.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

In terms of prospects and set pieces....

I like the goalies, Wolf and Cooley
I like the defense, weegar, whitecloud, bruz, parekh, kuz, ball
I like the top four wing, coronato, gridin, basha
I like the bottom fours wing, klapka, suniev, honzek
I like the 2 3 4 center, zary reschny, Cullen

Through draft, trade or ufa, I only see a top center and top wing and then some marinating.

Yeah the Flames have far more than the average team starting a rebuild...they will have MOAR by the end of the season too IMO

I don't think we need to put a timeline on things just keep making smart moves and getting younger

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

In terms of prospects and set pieces....

I like the goalies, Wolf and Cooley
I like the defense, weegar, whitecloud, bruz, parekh, kuz, ball
I like the top four wing, coronato, gridin, basha
I like the bottom fours wing, klapka, suniev, honzek
I like the 2 3 4 center, zary reschny, Cullen

Through draft, trade or ufa, I only see a top center and top wing and then some marinating.

I’d argue those wingers aren’t good enough, unless they’re being driven by an absolute star down the middle.

…but adding an absolute star on the wing into that fold (Stenberg, McKenna) goes a long way. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but Conroy looks to have the trade assets and the picks to do it.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I’d argue those wingers aren’t good enough, unless they’re being driven by an absolute star down the middle.

…but adding an absolute star on the wing into that fold (Stenberg, McKenna) goes a long way. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but Conroy looks to have the trade assets and the picks to do it.

I’d add Wyttenbach as a potential top-6 winger. Still need that absolute star, but there’s more than enough potential in the system to fill the other wing slots.

[Braden]

I look at the wings and just see softness asides from Pospisil and Honzek can't stay healthy. This definitely feels like a team in need of a good power forward prospect or 2. Hope they can find those in the later rounds.

[Sofa GM]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

In terms of prospects and set pieces....

I like the goalies, Wolf and Cooley
I like the defense, weegar, whitecloud, bruz, parekh, kuz, ball
I like the top four wing, coronato, gridin, basha
I like the bottom fours wing, klapka, suniev, honzek
I like the 2 3 4 center, zary reschny, Cullen

Through draft, trade or ufa, I only see a top center and top wing and then some marinating.

Zary is not a center, the fan base needs do get past that.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Braden

I look at the wings and just see softness asides from Pospisil and Honzek can't stay healthy. This definitely feels like a team in need of a good power forward prospect or 2. Hope they can find those in the later rounds.

Agreed.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Hopefully they realize once McKenna/Stenberg/Dupont/Joseph jersey sales start up

Ultimately it'll be great for fans when we fail up...but deep down annoying that this management team and owner will get to reap the benefits despite themselves. The city really deserves better.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

We have a long way to go at forward.

Our future core is like 90% tied up in potential right now. We're banking on these guys panning out as top 6 players, not just bottom 6 or fringe. Reaching that level tends to thin out the herd.

I do have a little more certainty in players who are performing well in the NCAA than other leagues because it's probably the closest brand of hockey to pro. And thankfully we have about 5-6 prospects that look pretty good there.

We're still going to need probably two blue-chip quality prospects in the next two drafts (if we can bottom out enough to make that happen) to even begin to feel like a competitor is taking form here.

We won't win games with a competent defense and goalies alone. But it's a solid foundation to build on. It makes things a lottt more straightforward to start with these pieces than to be scrambling to find them later on (see the team up the road that has to outscore its problems on a nightly basis)

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by gvitaly

Huberdeau doesn't have a CF in the 60s unless you probably include the PP, which kind of defeats the point. Maybe around 52%, while having a GF% around 46%.

His line doesn't drive play nearly enough when I watch him.

I only report the numbers that are there. But they were from the past 3 seasons, not this one (his Corsi is OK but not GFx this year)

[Rhett44]

We have a lot of good secondary players and prospects. But we still need maybe an entire first line and possibly a dman.

A lot will depend on how the players develop. I wouldn't put a limit on most of those players mentioned at this point, they could exceed expectations. But a lot of them could not pan out as NHLers as well.

Obviously a lot depends on Parekh. If he becomes a 1st line dman that would be huge. But obviously we don't know what he is at this point, it is early and he hasn't been given much of a chance when he has played.

If Gridin or Wyttenbach or Reschny can become a 1st liner, obviously things change as well. I like all the players but it is so early to know what they are going to be.

I think it is very optimistic to say we just need a couple pieces. I think ideally we draft top 5 three years in a row, and try to hit on some other picks. Then we will go from there and we will have a lot more elite level talent in the prospect pool. Then you are hopefully looking at rising and starting to make playoffs maybe 4 years from now, with the pieces needed to hopefully become a contender for a long time.

[dino7c]

Flames are going to aquire or sign a big name or two going into the new arena IMO. Anyone expecting a 4 or 5 year tank will be dissapointed. They will lean in for a year or two. Sucking on purpose will never be the goal.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

100% they will.

The important thing is to capitalize this year and next before we start buying/loading up.

Hopefully we're organically improving by then rather than just trying to manufacture a competitive team for the inaugural new arena season with big ticket signings.

[MolsonInBothHands]

Organic growth.
Without FA signings. Without trades that jeopardize the future.
No senseless cap spending on aging vets.
We have our own contracts nobody loves: Huberdeau, but he isn't hampering next moves, he is what gives us the floor.
Let the prospects earn their spots, let them improve the team. Don't hand a spot to them because you have a grudge on the guy ahead of them.
Make them earn it.
Yep it might seem like double standards, favoring aged out vets, the rookies have to have a ceiling to bust through, or they become Taylor Hall, etc.

I am excited for the future. This is the bottom, and I will take it.

#### rebiggle, Conroy has shown more patience than many who wanted this direction. I can swallow it, can you?

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Flames are going to aquire or sign a big name or two going into the new arena IMO. Anyone expecting a 4 or 5 year tank will be dissapointed. They will lean in for a year or two. Sucking on purpose will never be the goal.

They may try, but I don't think it would work to rush this for only a year or 2.

Keep in mind once we trade Kadri and Coleman, or once they age, we will be missing 2 more of our best players.

[CFO]

The flames are bottoming out. Over the next 2 drafts they have what 4 1st round picks? The 1st round picks that are flames related should be at least top 5 maybe even top 3.

So over next 2 years they should be adding 4 great prospects where 2 should have ceilings of top line players.

Over a span of 4 years they will have drafted I believe 8 1st round picks. Let alone what comes out of trading away other core players.

If the flames don't have a future skilled team with those 8 1st round picks plus guys like coronato, wolf, etc - then wtf is management doing.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Flames are going to try to aquire or sign a big name or two going into the new arena IMO. Anyone expecting a 4 or 5 year tank will be dissapointed. They will lean in for a year or two. Sucking on purpose will never be the goal.

Fyp

I don’t disagree with the Flames wanting to move things along more quickly when they can, that’s been their history. That said, I think acquiring these players is going to be more difficult than it used to be due to the cap rising and teams being able to keep their core players more often than not. Especially for small market Canadian teams.

I’ll also add that I don’t think the Flames are all that far along in the rebuild. Parekh, I’d say, has a lot to prove that he can carry the weight of a top pairing D man. I think a more conservative outlook, right now, is middle 4 PP speacialist. If the Flames end up with a chance to draft Verheoff over one of the top forwards available and do so, that will say a lot about their internal projections.

They are set in Goal. Up front, I’d say the 5’11” middle 6 scoring winger is a profile the Flames are also set in. Unfortunately, that is probably the easiest and least valuable asset in the league.

I think the Flames, optimistically, will have two years at the very bottom (this year included) and 2-3 mid bottom years before they’re playoff competitive.